


Cinnamon & Snowflakes

by CoffeeSoobeanie



Category: ITZY (Band), Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Coffee & Cupcakes, F/F, Hyunjin & Seungmin Appear Mostly In Part 2, I'm Bad At Tagging, Light Angst, M/M, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Twins Hwang Hyunjin & Hwang Yeji
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24492430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeSoobeanie/pseuds/CoffeeSoobeanie
Summary: When Jisu moves to Seoul to attend university, love is the last thing that she’s searching for.Unfortunately for Jisu, it seems that the universe has other plans for her, and she quickly finds herself learning that it’s hard to look away from someone as mesmerising as Yeji.
Relationships: Choi Jisu | Lia/Hwang Yeji, Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin
Comments: 17
Kudos: 116





	1. Strangers to Friends

**Author's Note:**

> To celebrate the recent influx of YeJisu photos on instagram, here’s my attempt at a Yeji x Lia University AU! Featuring the lovely ITZY members, as well as Stray Kids’ Hyunjin & Seungmin (primarily in part 2), because I’m a sucker for them.
> 
> Comments & Kudos are greatly appreciated!

Looking back, Jisu doesn't remember much about the day that she arrived in Seoul. There is, however, one memory that stands out clearly against the fuzzy haze of that afternoon; a lone girl sitting peacefully by an open window, dark hair dancing in the serene autumn breeze.

_**• • • • •** _

**~ 16th October ~**

As soon as Jisu arrives on campus at the university that will be her home for the next two years, a tornado of butterflies begin fluttering around in her stomach, threatening to tear their way out at any second. They do nothing to help the overwhelming feeling of nausea that she's been trying to suppress since she first stepped onto the tarmac at Incheon International Airport earlier that same afternoon. Jisu's reality suddenly seems a little too much like a wild fantasy to be truly believable, because less then twenty-four hours earlier, she was still standing firmly on Canadian soil, only able to dream about what her new life in South Korea's capital city would be like.

Now, as Jisu stands frozen in front of her dorm building in southern Seoul, designer suitcase dumped carelessly at her feet and a campus map (so indecipherable it may as well have been written in ancient hieroglyphics) clutched so tightly in her hands that her knuckles are beginning to turn a startling shade of white, she can't help but wonder whether it would've been better if she'd never decided to seize the opportunity to find out what lies beyond her comfort zone. Jisu doesn't know whether it's the biting anxiety, fierce jet lag, or the result of downing the mini bottle of complementary red wine she'd accepted from a snooty flight attendant on the plane that's making her feel like the ground is about to swallow her whole, but she can only theorise that it's a combination of all three factors.

Resisting the almost overwhelming urge to dial her aunt's number and frantically beg her to immediately book Jisu on the next flight back to the country she's called home for almost the entirety of her life, the girl inhales three deep, shaky breaths, before stepping tentatively inside the intimidating building to meet whatever fate awaits her.

The interior of the accommodation is just as stylishly modern as the exterior of the structure indicates it to be, with not a broken glass bottle or a stray puddle of vomit in sight. Despite the fact that the university is amongst the most prestigious in South Korea, Jisu was still expecting something a little more... trashy.

Pushing her reservations to the back of her mind, Jisu begins the nerve-wracking climb up the stairs in search of her dorm room. Unfortunately, despite its relatively upscale appearance, the building doesn't contain an elevator - because of course it doesn't. After all, that would make things far too easy for drunk students trying to find their way back to their cozy beds after a wild night out.

Twenty minutes later, and Jisu has still had no success in finding her dorm room. She's searched a couple of floors without any luck, and now she's somehow managed to find herself standing on an unfamiliar staircase with a grand total of zero informative signs in sight to clue her into where she needs to go; Jisu kind of feels like bursting into tears, because finding her dorm room should not be such a challenging task. After trailing dejectedly down several more flights of stairs, Jisu nearly trips over her own feet when she stumbles upon the first other person she's encountered in the entire building.

A girl sits alone on the wide landing that separates two floors, her gaze fixed intently on something that Jisu cannot see. The stranger is perched elegantly by the open window, allowing the gentle autumn breeze to stream through and tenderly weave its way through the delicate waves of her dark hair. The girl looks so peaceful that Jisu almost wonders whether she should just turn around and walk away. Unfortunately, Jisu's fear of being lost doesn't allow her to consider it as a viable option for more than a few lingering moments.

"Excuse me?" Jisu stammers as she approaches the stranger, trying her best not to grimace at how unnatural her native language feels rolling off of her tongue. "Can you please help me?"

The girl doesn't respond, continuing to gaze off into the distance and giving no indication that she's heard Jisu at all. Feeling a little perturbed, Jisu loudly clears her throat and tries again. "Erm... hello?"

Fortunately, the girl seems to rouse from her dreamlike state this time, smiling gently up at Jisu. Her eyes still appear to be a little glazed over, but Jisu tactfully chooses not to make a comment about it. "Hmm? Oh, hey."

"Hi." Jisu offers the girl a tiny wave. "Do you know the way to room E10?"

"You're new around here, aren't you?" The girl murmurs after a moment of regarding Jisu quietly, undoubtedly taking in the sight of her crumpled clothes and untamed hair (Jisu hates airplane journeys with a passion) with a scarily unreadable expression.

Jisu blanches slightly, hating how obvious it is that she doesn't fit in. "I transferred here this semester, which is why I'm struggling to find my room. If you could please just point me in the right direction, I'd be really grateful." Jisu explains with as much patience as she can muster, hoping that the note of desperation that's steadily creeping into her voice will help the girl to take the hint that she really, really wants the conversation to be over.

"You said your room is E10, right?" The girl checks, one perfectly shaped eyebrow raised in query. Jisu nods quickly in confirmation, chewing anxiously on her bottom lip. "It shouldn't be too difficult to find if I give you directions. Just follow this staircase down to the ground floor where you'll find a wooden door which leads through to the lobby. From there, there's another set of stairs directly opposite the main entrance. You'll need to go up to the fifth floor and follow the corridor straight down to the end; your room should be on the left."

Jisu’s so incredibly relieved that she's not going to be forced to wander the unfamiliar apartment block alone for the rest of eternity that she almost hugs the girl in gratitude. Luckily, Jisu manages to restrain herself upon remembering that she isn't in Canada anymore, and that the sort of easy skinship that she's used to publicly displaying back home tends to be frowned upon in other societies. Instead, she settles for a verbal display of appreciation. "Thank you so much for your help!"

"It's really nothing." The girl casually waves a dismissive hand in Jisu's direction. "The reason why there aren't any floor names around is because this is a back staircase. No one ever uses it, so the university never bothered to label it. It's the perfect place to escape to if you ever need some time alone."

"Oh... okay." Jisu stammers, a little puzzled as to why the girl is letting her in on a secret that she feels she has no right to bear witness to. "Thanks, I guess I'll remember that for the future."

As Jisu turns to leave, only just remembering to offer a shallow bow in the traditional polite gesture of gratitude, the girl speaks up once again. This time, as her eyes meet Jisu's, there's a tiny - yet unmistakable - hint of warmth glimmering in the mysterious dark pools.

"Welcome to Seoul, by the way." The girl's voice is so quiet that Jisu has to strain her ears to hear it. "Whatever it is that you're searching for here, I hope that you find it."

For a moment, Jisu freezes, the words making her heart stutter frantically in her chest. She whips around, feeling a fresh wave of panic rising within her, but the girl is no longer looking in her direction, having turned her attention back to looking through the glass, watching the world race by outside.

With their shared moment having come to a crashing halt, Jisu hastily collects up her luggage with shaking hands, turns on her heel, and flees.

**• • • • •**

**~ 18th October ~**

Jisu's roommate is a pretty blonde freshman named Yuna. The younger girl immediately launches herself at her new roommate the second she steps through the door, and in her surprise, the only thing that Jisu can do is to try not to be knocked to the floor as she's hugged within an inch of her life. Although Jisu is a junior, making her older than her new roommate, she certainly doesn't match up to her in the height department; she's probably going to have to get used to the surprise attacks of affection.

Although Yuna appears to be one of the most social creatures Jisu's ever met, her roommate is happy to ditch her classmates in favour of spending every free minute she can claw together showing the new student around campus. Having Yuna's comforting presence by her side somewhat helps to quell the crushing loneliness that invades Jisu's heart whenever she's left alone with her thoughts for too long, although it does little to numb the dull ache she feels in her chest whenever her mind drifts towards the life she's left behind.

For the first two evenings after she arrives in Seoul, Jisu resists Yuna's attempts to coax her into eating anything other than the convenience store ramen she can easily cook in their dorm's tiny kitchen. She's jet lagged and grumpy and the dark circles under her eyes are as deep as craters, which makes her want to avoid human interaction at every possible turn. Unfortunately, her classes begin in the morning, so Jisu knows that she's only delaying the inevitable. After nearly an hour of unrelenting coercion, Yuna finally manages to get Jisu to cave in.

"You can't stay cooped up in our dorm room for the rest of the semester - it'll be bad for my reputation if everyone thinks my roommate is some sort of hermit." Yuna teases, her arm threaded tightly through Jisu's to stop the older girl from escaping at the first chance she gets.

"Geez, I'm coming with you, aren't I? There's no need to practically put me on a leash." Jisu grumbles, scooping her purse up and pocketing her phone. Yuna just grins.

So that's how Jisu ends up hidden away in a secluded corner of the cafeteria, nibbling tentatively on a slice of overly-greasy pizza. If she was hungover, it would've been the perfect meal, but at a sober six o'clock in the evening, it just makes her feel like she's abandoning all of her self respect. Yuna sits across from her, happily scooping syrup-soaked waffles into her mouth with a vigour that Jisu can't help but find both admirable and downright adorable.

Without any warning, the cafeteria's steady level of casual chatter that was accompanying their previously relaxed mealtime suddenly overflows into a cacophony of bubbling excitement. Taken aback by the sudden change in the atmosphere, Jisu briefly scans the crowd in search of the cause of the disturbance; it doesn't take her long to find it.

Hundreds of eyes are directed to where three girls stand waiting in the food line, chatting quietly amongst themselves as they wait for their turn to be served. The trio are certainly enough to capture anyone's attention - not only due to the fact that all three girls are stunningly attractive, but also because of the way in which they simply seem to radiate an energy that commands heads to turn in their direction. One of them sports shockingly bright pink hair (a colour Jisu could never even dream of attempting to pull off), whilst the second has wide eyes, a slender face, and appears to be wearing a sweater that has a set of cat ears sprouting out of the hood.

The third girl though... she's another story entirely. Looking at her makes Jisu feel as though her heart has leapt up into her throat as she watches her move through the crowd like a goddess among mortals, because the third girl is familiar to her.

"Who are they?" Jisu does her best to subtly point in the direction of the trio's chosen table, somehow managing to force her words out without stumbling over them. "Why is everyone looking at them?"

"You're joking, right?" Jisu squirms in her seat as Yuna squints dubiously at her, weighing up whether her question is serious. "I guess you're not. I forget that you're new here."

"Because I fit in so well?" Jisu jokes half-heartedly, knowing that the reality is exactly the opposite.

Yuna frowns at that, licking a splash of stray syrup from her fingers. "Where's the fun in fitting in? You're living for yourself - not for those around you - so nobody else should have the right to dictate how you choose to spend the time that you've been given to be _you_."

Jisu's lips involuntarily knit themselves into an amused smile. Yuna is a psychology major, and it most definitely shows. "Remind me to never argue with you in the future. I'm starting to understand that you're always right."

"Of course I am." The blonde-haired girl nods sagely, pushing her empty plate aside with a serious expression etched into her youthful features. "Prepare your ears, young one - I'll walk you through a summarised guide to the elite class of our university."

Jisu listens intently to Yuna's tutorial, attempting to soak up as much information as she can about the mysterious trio - although there's one figure that she's considerably more interested in than the others. All three of the girls are members of the university's highly successful dance team, which makes them something close to royalty amongst their peers.

The girl with the pastel-pink hair chopped into a stylish bob is named Ryujin, and according to Yuna, she's not as scary as she looks (although Jisu doesn't necessarily trust her opinion, considering that the two girls are cousins). Ryujin is a year younger than Jisu and is majoring in physics, whilst simultaneously holding down a job as a barista at the local coffee shop. Jisu can barely manage to tie her own shoelaces if she doesn't get at least seven hours sleep per night, so to say that she’s impressed would be putting it lightly.

The youngest of the three girls sits quietly between her two friends, picking her way through a plate of lasagne in an attempt to remove all the excess pieces of tomato. Her name is Chaeryeong, and the reason why her face looks vaguely familiar to Jisu is because her older sister is a member of a famous idol group. She's currently the youngest member of the university dance team - a title that Yuna hopes to steal after her audition next week.

The final member of the trio is named Yeji. She's the co-captain of the dance team - despite only being a junior - and is notorious for having won hundreds of competitions over the years. Yeji is the sort of person that girls can only dream of being, and guys can only dream of being with - because not only is she talented and pretty, but she's also incredibly smart. Frankly, she almost sounds too perfect to be real.

Unfortunately for Jisu, Yeji is also the girl that she embarrassed herself in front of on an abandoned stairwell the day that she first arrived in Seoul - though it's hard for Jisu to believe that she's looking at the same person, because the vibrant girl in front of her now is smiling brightly, her eyes crinkled prettily as she laughs like she doesn't have a single care in the world. She's seems so different from the girl that Jisu met on the stairs only a few days before that it's hard for her to align the two images in her mind. Jisu can't help but wonder which version of the girl is simply an illusion - though she knows that she'll probably never get the chance to find out.

As Yuna leads her from the cafeteria, having both polished off the last of their questionable meals (pizza is still pizza after all, even if it does taste a little like cardboard), Jisu risks daring a glance over at the table where the three girls sit. What she certainly isn't expecting is for Yeji to already be looking directly at her, the corners of her lips quirked upwards in a smile that makes Jisu momentarily forget how to breathe.

"We can go over and greet them if you'd like?" Yuna offers quietly, having noticed the way that Jisu's steps falter upon meeting Yeji's gaze.

"I can't." Jisu shakes her head firmly, desperately tugging at the sleeve of her friend's jacket to stop herself from panicking. "Please, let's just go."

Luckily Yuna takes the hint, steering them both out of the cafeteria as Jisu tries to pretend that she can't feel the pair of curious eyes that burn into her back - because although the smile that Yeji had offered her was small and controlled, it was brimming with kindness and sincerity in a way that makes Jisu's stomach churn painfully whenever she thinks about it. That alone is enough reason for Jisu to hope that she never crosses paths with Yeji again.

**• • • • •**

**~ 19th October ~**

Jisu is undeniably anxious as she steps into the theatre where her first ever lecture at a foreign university is about to begin. After over a decade of minimal use when she was living in Canada, Jisu's Korean skills are rusty at best, so she's more than a little apprehensive about her ability to understand the obscure words relevant to her course. As a junior, Jisu is already halfway through her business degree. Her hope is to one day be capable enough to run her parents' company - she just hopes that her sudden transfer won't crush those dreams.

The theatre is still fairly empty as Jisu searches for a seat, finally settling for a spot relatively near the back. She doesn't plan on sleeping through any of her lectures until she's got a handle on all of her classes, but Jisu is satisfied in the fact that she's found a prime spot for future power naps.

As more and more students begin to steadily stream into the theatre, Jisu busies herself with organising her stationary and logging into her laptop, doing her level best to remain as invisible as possible. It's not that Jisu doesn't want to make friends - she'd always been something of a social butterfly back in Canada - it's more that she just simply isn't ready to be ogled at for being ' _the new girl_ '. She'd rather let any friendships that she chooses to forge bloom naturally, rather than being formed out of her classmates' pity for the poor foreign girl who always sits alone.

As the clock crawls towards the designated start time of the lecture, Jisu glances down to the front of the theatre, curious as to whether the lecturer has arrived. Unfortunately, it's not the professor that catches her attention...

Standing barely ten metres away, surrounded by a group of her friends and peering intently up at Jisu, is Yeji. Jisu's breath catches in her throat as their eyes meet for a split second before she's quickly tearing her gaze away, choosing instead to stare down at her textbook with the intensity of a thousand suns.

For a moment, Yeji simply stands there on the stairs - as if she can't quite decide which way to turn. Half of her seems to want to walk right up to Jisu and spark up a conversation, whilst the other part appears to want to pretend that she simply doesn't exist. Jisu doesn't look at Yeji again, and when she next dares to raise her head and glance up, the girl is no longer watching her. It's clear that she has decided that attempting to approach the standoffish new girl is not worth her precious time and effort. Yeji sits with her friends on the opposite side of the room, and Jisu does her best to focus on the lecture and ignore the unrelenting voice in the back of her mind that torments her by repeating ' _what are you so afraid of_?' over and over again like a mantra.

Jisu desperately wishes that she knew the answer.

**• • • • •**

**~ 23rd October ~**

To deserve the sort of bad luck that she's prone to receiving, Jisu can't help but wonder whether she's managed to upset some vengeful deity that's now seeking revenge in the most inconvenient manner possible.

Jisu does her best to mind her own business and not draw attention to herself, but it's hard not to notice someone like Yeji, who just seems to be everywhere. The more that Jisu tries to avoid her, the more she seems unable to stay away - whether it's lounging about on the grass soaking up the autumn sunlight with her friends, or practicing with the rest of the dance team outside the cafeteria, Yeji is just always _there_.

Once classes have finished for the day on Friday afternoon, Jisu makes the long overdue trip to the place that Yuna claims to be the ' _best café on campus_ '. Jisu hasn't had a sip of coffee in over a week and is starting to feel the effects of caffeine withdrawal. However, upon strolling into the busy building and spotting the very person that she's doing her best to avoid standing near the front of the line, scrolling mindlessly through her phone as she waits to place her order, Jisu very nearly bolts in the opposite direction - hand tremors be damned.

Jisu hates that she feels like a moth being inexplicably drawn to an open flame whenever she's around the other girl, but she doesn't know how to make it _stop_. It doesn't help that not only does Jisu share several classes with Yeji, but they also both happen to live in the same building. Jisu is well aware that if she's going to continuing attending the university, she has no choice but to become accustomed to Yeji's seemingly constant presence. Therefore, instead of heading straight out of the door and running for the hills, Jisu stoically joins the back of the line to place her order; if she tries her hardest to obscure her face with the sleeve of her sweater, then that's nobody's business but her own.

After what feels like an eternity of waiting, Jisu finally risks glancing in the direction of the counter. It's almost pathetic that she feels a soothing wave of relief wash over her when she realises that Yeji is no longer there. Unfortunately for her, the fates seem to greatly enjoy meddling in Jisu's life, so of course she's not going to be able to escape unscathed.

"Hi, what can I get for you?" The barista flashes Jisu a welcoming smile, brushing a stray piece of her pastel-pink hair back behind her prettily pierced ear.

"Just an Iced Americano to-go, please." Jisu mumbles, reluctantly raising her eyes to meet Ryujin's curious gaze. The girl stood in front of her may not be Yeji herself, but she's still one of the last people that Jisu feels like chatting to.

"You're Jisu, right? Yuna's new roommate?" The barista asks, enthusiastically punching the order into the cash register without looking away from her customer (much to Jisu's dismay).

"That's me." Jisu nods cautiously, a little taken aback that a girl that she's never spoken to before in her life has bothered to remember her name.

"I'm her cousin, Ryujin. I hope Yuna's not annoying you too much. My aunt says that I have to keep her troublemaking tendencies under control when we're on campus, so let me know if you need me to scold her for anything." Ryujin grins cheekily, evidently very fond of teasing her younger cousin. "It's nice to meet you. If you could please wait over to one side, we'll have your drink ready as soon as possible."

"But I haven't paid yet?" Jisu reminds her, a little puzzled.

"You don't need to. Someone already covered the price of your drink." Ryujin shrugs nonchalantly, as if she's simply telling Jisu the time.

Instead of making her feel flattered like the random act of kindness by a stranger usually would, the words simply send a chill racing down Jisu's spine, as if someone has dumped a bucket of ice over her head. " _What_? Who was it?"

"I'm afraid that I can't tell you that information - y'know how it is with customer confidentiality and all that."Ryujin is clearly attempting to keep a straight face, though she's certainly not doing the greatest job of keeping her amusement under wraps. "It was nice meeting you, Jisu. See you around!" With those final words, Ryujin begins greeting the next customer, ending the conversation before Jisu can even begin to argue.

She still hasn't entirely wrapped her head around the strange experience when she's handed her coffee several minutes later, thanking the worker with what she's sure is a meek voice and a shellshocked expression.

As she makes her way back across the campus towards her dorm room, freshly fallen leaves crunching noisily under her boots and the warm glow of strong caffeine slowly seeping its way into her veins, Jisu wishes that she could vanquish the sinking sensation in her chest. She doesn't want to face up to the fact that she's fairly certain she knows the identity of the mysterious stranger who paid for her coffee, and Jisu _definitely_ doesn't want to acknowledge the fact that their smile may be the prettiest thing she's ever seen.

**• • • • •**

**~ 31st October ~**

The following week, Yuna passes her audition for the university dance team with flying colours. Despite having only known the younger girl for a handful of weeks, Jisu congratulates her roommate like a proud mother, squishing her adorable cheeks with unrestrained ferocity. Yuna squeals loudly and does her best to wiggle away, but the wide smile on her pretty face is enough to tell Jisu that she's very grateful for the support.

As an official member of the dance team, Yuna is invited to attend the Halloween party that the squad hosts annually, which is notorious for being one of the wildest events of the school year. Apparently, the invitation also grants her permission to select a plus one to drag along with her; it becomes clear that Yuna intends to take full advantage of that fact.

Consequently, on Halloween night, Jisu finds herself standing in a stranger's house surrounded by people she's never met before, dressed as a poor excuse for a fairy and coated in glitter. They've barely been at the party for an hour, yet Yuna (clad in a blood-red dress and a pair of devil horns) is practically bouncing off of the walls, happily drunk on vanilla vodka as she waves her plastic pitchfork around. Jisu can't help but wonder whether she should have been the one to play the role of the responsible adult and limit Yuna's alcohol intake, though she's aware that in reality she's too tiny to maintain any sort of control over her roommate - drunk or not. Jisu herself isn't exactly sober anyway, having gotten tipsier than she intended to on sickly-sweet fruit punch and tequila.

Despite her initial reservations about the party, Jisu finds herself having a good time. She's a sociable person at heart - it just takes her a little while to warm up to people - so being surrounded by a crowd of bubbly, carefree students allows her to lose herself in the atmosphere for the first time in months.

After another hour of swaying to the music and with two more cocktails choked down, Jisu realises that Yuna is no longer by her side. Cursing under her breath, she sets out to look for the younger girl, hoping that she hasn't landed herself in trouble.

Having searched several rooms and found no trace of her roommate, Jisu stumbles into the kitchen, practically tripping over Ryujin as she leans against the doorframe, drink in hand.

"Have you seen Yuna?" Jisu asks the pink-haired girl, too tipsy to worry about her usual shyness or the embarrassment she's likely to feel upon recalling the encounter once she's sober. "I was trying to keep an eye on her, but I got distracted for literally one minute and now she's vanished."

Ryujin simply grins, holding a hand out to help steady the swaying girl. "She's with Chae. I think they're setting up for a dance-off, if you want to check it out?"

Jisu shakes her head - which does nothing to help with her rising vertigo - quickly taking the hand that she's offered. "I think I'll pass. I need to just sit still for a few minutes. Everything's getting a little bit... spinny."

"Let's go and sit down." Ryujin carefully leads her over to the breakfast bar and helps her to position herself on a stool that's a little too wobbly for Jisu's liking. She then hands Jisu the drink that she'd previously been sipping with a reassuring smile. "Here, this will hopefully help to tame the dizziness."

"I don't think I'm supposed to drink things that strangers give me." Jisu mumbles, though she accepts the glass regardless, raising it to her lips and taking a tentative sip. It's very clearly just water, so Jisu chugs as much of it as she can handle in one go.

"We've met twice now - once more and we'll be best friends." Ryujin teases, nudging Jisu with her elbow. "Besides, why would I poison someone that Yuna likes so much?"

"It's nice to know that someone around here appreciates me." Jisu mumbles into the packet of crackers that she procures from the countertop in front of her, hoping that no one will miss them. They taste mildly like bacon, which is enough to make Jisu forget about all of her worldly problems.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm pretty sure that _you're_ the one who's purposely avoiding making any friends." Ryujin smiles gently, plucking a cracker from Jisu's hand and nibbling unapologetically on it.

The kitchen is quieter now, though the music in the lounge seems to have been cranked up a few notches, the throbbing bass making the entire house vibrate around them. Jisu feels unexpectedly calm in Ryujin's presence, in the same way that she does when she's around Yuna. It's strangely comforting, and it gives Jisu the impression that she's going to be seeing plenty more of Ryujin in the future.

Still, Jisu keeps her response vague, unwilling to give away too much of what's going on inside her head. "I just want to take my time, y'know? I'm not in any rush to get attached to anyone. Besides, I don't mind adjusting to university here alone for a while. I have Yuna, and that's enough for me."

"So you're telling me that _we_ can't be friends?" Ryujin gasps, hand placed dramatically on her chest in mock-offence.

Jisu can't hold back her giggles at the girl's comedic acting attempt. "I didn't say that we couldn't."

"Just so you know, I give all of my friends discounts at the coffee shop." Ryujin wiggles her eyebrows a little in a manner that's probably meant to be enticing.

Jisu grins, amused by Ryujin's playful attitude. "Aww! You really know the way to win my heart!"

"You can't beat a bribe!" The pink-haired girl agrees with a cheeky wink.

Jisu is about to reply, when suddenly, they're no longer the only ones in the room.

"Ryu, have you seen Jinnie anywhere? Soobin always gets mildly concerned when my idiot brother and Minnie disappear off together, so he asked me to - " Yeji freezes in the doorway, eyes widening as they land on Jisu, registering that Ryujin isn't alone. "Oh, hey..."

"I think they left a while ago actually. Something about wanting to ' _devour the biggest ice cream sundaes that Seoul has to offer_ '?" Ryujin shrugs casually, as if that sentence is nothing out of the ordinary in her book. "If I didn't know your brother and Min better, I'd think they were high."

"Nope, they're just very unique." Yeji chuckles, taking a cautious step towards the breakfast bar as she avoids making eye contact with Jisu. "Sounds like a brilliant idea though - I wish they'd invited us. There's always next time, I suppose."

"Oh, definitely. Except we're doing it with burgers - and if I don't feel like I'm about to explode afterwards, then we're not doing it right." Ryujin declares firmly, stealing the final cracker before Jisu can fend her off. "Don't you agree, Jisu?"

"Erm... yeah, of course." Jisu stammers, feeling as caught off guard by the whole situation as Yeji looks.

"Great, that sounds like a plan for the future to me. The three of us, Chaeryeong and Yuna - hunting down the biggest burgers in the city." Ryujin claps her hands together eagerly and rises from her chair before Jisu even has time to process what she's just been roped into. "I'm going to leave you two alone for a bit. Someone has to make sure that Yuna doesn't sprain her ankle dancing to a Beyoncé song - it wouldn't be the first time." Before either Jisu or Yeji can protest, Ryujin slips out of the kitchen, leaving the two girls alone with an awkward silence that threatens to engulf them.

"Can I sit?" Yeji asks quietly after a minute or so, as if she's frightened that Jisu will snap at her.

"Sure, why not?" Jisu shrugs, reaching for a second packet of crackers and carelessly tearing it open. It's clearly useless for her to try and avoid Yeji any longer, since their paths seem to be intertwined at every possible turn. "Hi, I'm Jisu."

"I know." Yeji grins, taking a sip from her cup as she perches cautiously on the stool that Ryujin had previously vacated. "I'm Yeji."

"I know." The words are out of Jisu's mouth before she has the chance to think about what she's saying.

Yeji's eyes widen a little, the corners of her lips lifting into a tiny smile. "I wasn't sure if you did. You always seem to be trying to avoid me."

"You could tell?"

Yeji snorts, which somehow does nothing to dull the charisma she always seems to radiate. "It was made kind of obvious by the way that you avoid making eye contact with me."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry. I understand that you don't really like me, so _I'm_ sorry that I keep trying to get to know you." Yeji pouts, which does nothing to diminish Jisu's rising guilt.

"It's not that I don't like you..." Jisu mutters, unsure of how to finish her sentence. What is her reason for spending the last two weeks avoiding Yeji like the plague?

"Really?" Yeji raises an eyebrow, seemingly dubious of Jisu's words. "You don't have to say that just for my benefit."

"I'm not. I just don't really understand why someone like you is interested in being friends with someone like me."

"What do you mean by that?" Yeji practically whispers, eyes firmly fixed on the countertop in front of her.

Jisu can't help but roll her eyes at how seemingly oblivious the girl is to her fame on campus. "You're the co-captain of the dance team, Yeji. I'm pretty sure you could be friends with anyone you wanted, so why are you interested in the strange, unfriendly foreigner?"

Yeji seems to relax a little after hearing Jisu's explanation, plucking a slice of lime from the delicate porcelain plate that sits temptingly on the breakfast bar and sucking on it thoughtfully for a moment before answering. "The way I see it, we share multiple classes, we live in the same dorm building, and by the looks of it, we're going to be sharing the same friends pretty soon. I'm not asking you to be my best friend or anything, just... please don't keep running away from me. I'd like to at least get to know each other a little, if that's not to much to ask?"

"I guess I can do that." After contemplating Yeji's proposal for several moments, Jisu finds herself nodding in agreement. "No more running away from you."

"Great!" Yeji beams, enthusiasm practically seeping from her pores. "Just don't be a stranger, yeah?"

Jisu allows herself to smile back, unable to tame the simmering feeling of happiness bubbling away inside her chest. "I'll do my best."

And for once, Jisu finds that she really does mean it.

**• • • • •**

**~ 4th November ~**

In the days following the party, Jisu genuinely does make an effort to socialise a little more. She visits Ryujin at the coffee shop while she's still mildly hungover and sits at the counter to enjoy the free glass of freshly squeezed orange juice (Jisu has a feeling that she'll be very disappointed when she has to begin buying her own drinks) that the pink-haired girl provides her with. Ryujin chats away cheerfully to her in between serving customers, giving Jisu a helpful rundown of university life from the viewpoint of someone who's already survived the first year. Jisu finds it unbelievably easy to laugh along with the hilarious stories that Ryujin tells her about the dance team's escapades - and by the time she's ready to leave the coffeeshop, Jisu's hangover is long gone, and she's fairly certain that she can finally call the barista her friend.

Ryujin also promises to introduce Jisu to the member of their close knit friendship group that she hasn't met yet. However, even though Jisu has still yet to be formally acquainted with Chaeryeong, she still finds herself naturally returning the shy smiles that the younger girl graces her with whenever they pass each other in the hallways. Jisu even manages to exchange small talk with Yeji before their lectures, and is surprised to find that the girl is funny and quick-witted, knowing exactly what to say to make her giggle uncontrollably until she has to muffle the sound into the palm of her hand.

That's why, when Yeji runs up to her after class finishes for the day on Wednesday afternoon with a bright smile on her lips, Jisu stops walking to allow the dance captain to catch up with her.

"Jisu!" Yeji calls out as she approaches, attracting the attention of almost everyone in the vicinity.

Jisu does her best not to shrink back under the curious gazes of her classmates as she turns to greet the girl. "What's up?"

"Are you free to hang out for a bit?"

The expression on Yeji's face is so incredibly hopeful that even though Jisu's mind drifts to the important essay that sits mockingly on her desk in the dorm, waiting to be started, she decides that it can wait a little longer. "Yeah, I guess. I'm not in any rush."

"Great!" To Jisu's surprise, Yeji immediately links their arms together and leads her outside.

Despite it being early November, the weather is still surprisingly pleasant, so the two girls flop down onto the lawn in front of the library building, allowing the warmth of the weak sunshine to seep into their skin. Jisu's barely had time to make herself comfortable before Yeji's rummaging through her bag.

"Hold out your hand." Yeji instructs, her voice brimming with excitement. Jisu simply does as she's told, clueless as to what to expect.

Yeji pulls a colourful lunchbox with tiny rainbows printed all over it out of her backpack, swiftly popping open the lid with practiced expertise. Jisu can only watch in bewilderment as Yeji proceeds to take out two startlingly orange cupcakes coated in an almost obscene amount of bright green icing, before proudly pressing one of them into Jisu's waiting hands.

"Not to be rude or anything, but what the fuck did you put in this to make it so orange? It's not radioactive, right?" Jisu squints dubiously at the object, wondering what exactly she's looking at.

"We added half a bottle of food colouring into the bowl of cake mix because the natural shade of the pumpkin wasn't bright enough."

"Did you just say _pumpkin_?" Jisu holds the cupcake just a little further away from her body. "Why would you want to make anything pumpkin flavoured?"

"In my defence, it wasn't initially my idea." Yeji explains, proudly admiring her creation. "Chaeryeong was complaining about how many pumpkins get left to rot after Halloween is over because no one can ever find a use for them, so Ryujin decided that we shouldn't let ours go to waste."

Jisu can't help but smile at the girls' creativity. "I'm not sure that this was the solution."

"Don't knock it until you've tried it."

"If I get food poisoning, I'm never speaking to you again."

"The only reassurance I can offer is that I've eaten three already and I'm not dead." Yeji grins, holding her hands up in surrender. "I can't make any promises about your safety though."

"How reassuring..." Jisu mutters wryly, as she sinks her teeth into the cupcake.

Surprisingly, the unlikely dessert is strangely delicious. There's perhaps a little too much sugary icing piled on top of the sponge (is it even sponge? Jisu isn't sure), but the taste of the pumpkin is subtle, rather than overwhelming. The cupcake also appears to have been seasoned with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, which is always a bonus. Overall, Jisu is fairly impressed.

Yeji absentmindedly licks a smear of icing from her lips, her dark eyes fixed intently on Jisu. "So... what's the verdict?"

"The icing is a little much, but the cake itself is really good. I'm actually quite impressed." Jisu replies truthfully, taking another, larger bite of the creation.

"Really? That's great! Maybe I should sign up for the Great British Bake Off?"

"You watch that show?" Jisu's face immediately lights up at the mention of the show that she considers to be her guilty pleasure.

"Of course! Who wouldn't want to watch it when they can create masterpieces out of pastry? Besides, their British accents are the best!"

And just like that, the two girls are off, chattering away like they've known each other for years, rather than just a couple of days. Several hours pass by in the blink of an eye, and it's only the series of frantic texts that Jisu receives from Yuna asking her if she's been kidnapped that breaks the two girls out of the bubble they've managed to weave around themselves.

"Jisu?" Yeji says cautiously as they both climb to their feet. The winter sun is beginning to sink below the horizon, whipping up a light chill that swirls through the air and makes Yeji's dark hair flutter elegantly in the gentle breeze.

"Yeah?" Jisu does her best to brush off the stray strands of grass and crinkled leaves that cling vehemently to her jeans.

"I'm thinking about having a few friends round at my dorm on Saturday evening. Would you maybe... want to come?"

"How many people is ' _a few friends_ '?" Jisu raises an eyebrow, dubious at the vague description. "More than fifty?"

"No, it'll be nothing like that. I promise that it'll be a very exclusive event."

"Ooh, does that mean that I need to iron my best cocktail dress?" Jisu teases, pulling her cashmere jumper more tightly around herself as she leads the way back towards their dorm building.

"That actually sounds like a great idea! We can mix ourselves some fancy drinks and act like we're having a night out without having to leave home."

"The perfect balance of glitz and glam. I love it."

"So you'll be there?"

Jisu hesitates for just a moment, running over all the potential reasons to decline in her head. Having come to the conclusion that there's no reason for her to say no to the offer, Jisu decides to seize the opportunity. "Sure, I'll be there."

**• • • • •**

**~ 7th November ~**

When Jisu shows up at Yeji's dorm on Saturday evening, decked out in her favourite minidress and with Yuna by her side, she's surprised to discover just how 'exclusive' the party really is. In fact, it turns out that there are only five attendees.

Yeji's dorm is located on the top floor of the building. The views out over campus are so beautiful that Jisu almost wishes that she'd chosen a single dorm rather than a shared one - although then she might never have met Yuna, so she can't regret her decision too much.

"Welcome to _The Castle_!" Ryujin announces dramatically as she flings the front door open, making Jisu stumble backwards in surprise. "Don't tell Queen Yeji that I call it that though, or she'll never shut up about it."

"I can hear you, y'know!" Yeji hollers from inside the dorm, making all three girls burst into giggles. "Don't make my guests stand out in the hallway, Ryu. All of my neighbours will be wondering why I didn't invite them."

"Don't all of Yeji's neighbours hate her?" Yuna whispers, ushering Jisu inside and nudging the door closed behind them.

"Only the ones who she accidentally gave food poisoning to that time she tried to bake cookies for them." Ryujin grins at the memory as she leads them through into the kitchen, where Yeji and Chaeryeong are busy laying out bowls of snacks. "Although that time she accidentally blasted her music at two in the morning probably didn't help either."

"Stop telling Jisu bad things about me!" Yeji scolds, shoving a cookie into her friend's mouth before Ryujin can further taint her reputation.

"Don't eat that, Ryu. She might have poisoned it!" Chaeryeong chips in, swiftly dodging the breadstick that Yeji aims in her direction.

"Sorry about them. I'm glad you're here!" The host finally turns to Jisu, pulling her into a quick side hug that takes the bewildered girl by surprise. Yeji looks unbelievably gorgeous in a pure white dress that hugs her perfect figure tightly (which Jisu isn't at all jealous of, obviously), as well as chunky silver hoops dangling from her ears and her dark hair scooped up into a high ponytail. Jisu can't help but think that it's a shame to waste an outfit as fancy as the one that Yeji's wearing on a night in with the girls.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Yuna asks as she hops up onto the countertop where an impressive selection of alcohol is on display, nearly knocking an entire carton of pineapple juice flying in the process.

"Get drunk, eat pizza, watch Frozen." Chaeryeong informs her seriously, as she pours a liberal amount of rum into her cup.

"We are not watching that fucking movie." Ryujin shivers, making Jisu wonder what terrible past experience the talking snowman has subjected her to. "I don't care if it's the first or the second film, it's still not happening."

"Just _let it go_ , Ryujin." Yuna teases, only to end up being forced to run for her life as her cousin chases her around the apartment.

"You'll get used to them behaving like... that." Chaeryeong giggles, even as she's rolling her eyes at her friends' shenanigans. "It's nice to finally meet you, Jisu. I've heard so much about you from the others that I feel like we've known each other for weeks already."

"Yuna's told me all about you as well." Jisu offers the younger girl her friendliest smile. "I can already tell that you're going to be my new favourite person."

"Hey! What about me? I even gave you a cupcake! Shouldn't I be your favourite?" Yeji protests, handing Jisu a glass filled with a mysterious liquid, which she takes without question (Jisu seems to be developing a bad habit of drinking whatever she's given).

"It was a pumpkin cupcake, Yeji - that's not the best way to make friends." Jisu jokes, swirling her drink around with a straw before she takes a sip. It's surprisingly delicious.

Yeji just chuckles, amused by Jisu's straightforward sense of humour. "Does pizza work?"

Jisu just raises an eyebrow, biting back a grin as she does her best to give nothing away. "I guess you'll have to wait and see."

Three hours later, all five girls are sprawled out in Yeji's living room, stuffed with pizza and sufficiently drunk enough to keep bursting into laughter at the smallest of things. Surprisingly, it's one of the best nights in that Jisu's ever had. There's something about spending time with these girls that makes Jisu feel welcome - something that she hadn't been expecting to find so soon after arriving in Korea. She likes the way that she can act like herself when she's with them, and Jisu hopes that soon she'll feel comfortable enough to completely lower her guard around them. It's an amazing feeling.

"We should do this again sometime." Jisu announces, before she can stop her mouth from spilling the words that were meant to remain inside her head.

"You'd want to?" Ryujin props herself up on her elbow, clearly surprised by Jisu's enthusiasm.

"I mean... why not?" Jisu shrugs, rolling over onto Yuna's stomach, making her roommate squeal and dissolve into another fit of giggles. "Tonight was fun, and you guys make me laugh. What's there not to like?"

"I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Yuna manages to gasp through her laughter. "We should definitely do this again though. I want to do drunk karaoke next time, so that I can see Ryujin cry again."

"That was one time, Yuna!" Ryujin pouts, narrowing her eyes menacingly at her cousin. "How was I not supposed to get emotional when we mixed a bottle of vodka and SHINee songs together?"

"Completely understandable." Yeji nods solemnly, munching thoughtfully on a slice of cold pizza. "Karaoke sounds good to me. I'll write it down as an idea."

"If we're going to be making this a regular thing, we need a group name!" Yuna announces, clapping her hands excitedly at the idea with a level of enthusiasm that only a drunk person can possess.

"We're _not_ giving ourselves a group name." Chaeryeong groans, reaching over to cover Yuna's mouth before her friend can persist on the topic. "But I agree with everything else. Let's stick together; the five of us."

"The five of us against the world." Yeji raises her cup in salute, her dark eyes never leaving Jisu's own. "That sounds perfect to me."

**• • • • •**

**~ 16th November ~**

Since all four of her friends are members of the university dance team, it's only natural that Jisu gets a free pass to watch their practices whenever she so chooses. On a slow Monday evening, as Jisu has already completed the majority of her pre-reading for the following day, she decides to take them up on the offer.

That's how Jisu finds herself perched above the action on the balcony that overlooks the dance studio, giving her the perfect view of the rigorous training that the squad is going through down below. Initially, Jisu wasn't sure how much she'd enjoy the experience of watching a bunch of sweaty students attempt to follow a rhythm, but now her textbook sits forgotten in her lap as she focuses her attention on the ongoing practice.

Yeji stands at the front of the class, coaching the group through what looks to be a highly complicated choreography with the help of a boy who Jisu assumes to be the other co-captain. Everything about the way that Yeji leads her teammates screams that she's a natural leader, and Jisu can't help but feel intrigued by the authoritative side of her new friend that she's never witnessed before. It's startlingly clear that every member of the prestigious dance team - even Yeji's closest friends - highly respect the skills and opinions of both of their captains. Even though it's clear that everyone is exhausted from the intense session, they still put in their utmost effort because they want to impress their leaders. For some reason, that makes Jisu strangely proud.

As the practice draws to a close, Yeji takes up her position in the centre of the room to give a full demonstration of the choreography that they've run through that evening. Even though Jisu expects Yeji to be an amazing performer, nothing can prepare her for the way that the girl dances.

Yeji is mesmerising. She moves like there's magic flowing through her veins - as if she's become one with the music. Jisu finds herself unable to tear her gaze away, so when Yeji looks up at her and grins widely as their eyes meet, Jisu doesn't hesitate to smile back.

**• • • • •**

**~ 25th November ~**

Jisu quickly learns that Yeji's favourite place to kill time is the secluded back booth of the coffeeshop where Ryujin works. The location has a prime view of the rest of the shop, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows that allow the booth's occupants to watch on as the world passes by outside. It also happens to be the spot that's the closest to the shop's boiler room, which is a bonus feature that the girls all greatly appreciate as winter sets in and the days get colder.

Having finally finished her seemingly never ending classes for the day, Jisu collapses down into their favourite booth on a bitterly cold Wednesday afternoon, struggling to untangle the knitted scarf that Chaeryeong had lent her that morning from around her neck. Unsurprisingly, since she only has morning classes on a Wednesday, Yeji is already waiting for her, textbook sprawled out on the table in front of her. The margins are covered in tiny doodles (one of Yeji's adorable little habits), which automatically makes Jisu chuckle.

"One of these days you're going to get kicked out if you don't order something to drink." Jisu points out, noting that the table is empty of anything other than school supplies. If Ryujin's coworkers weren't so used to them loitering for extended periods of time, Jisu's sure that the group would have been banned from the coffeeshop by now.

"I was waiting for you." Yeji pouts, leaning over the table to help free her friend from her coat, since Jisu's own fingers are too numb to work the zipper. Although there's been no sign of snow yet, the weather is beginning to grow bitterly cold as the days pass. Jisu makes a mental note to dig her gloves out of her cupboard when she gets back to the dorm, in the hopes of avoiding getting frostbite the next time she ventures outside.

"Of course you were." Jisu teases, finally emerging out of the excess layers of clothing she'd cocooned herself in. "Do you know what you're going to order?"

Yeji shrugs, never one for putting too much thought into her drinks order. "I'll decide when I get to the counter. What do you want? I'm paying today - no arguments."

Jisu huffs, but knows that arguing with Yeji over something so trivial isn't worth the effort. "I'll have a mocha with whipped cream and marshmallows, please. And if you're buying this time, I'm paying next time. I still owe you for the first time you paid for my drink as well - back before we'd even spoken to each other."

"You knew that was me?" Yeji gasps, an embarrassed blush seeping over her cheeks. "Did Ryujin tell you? I swear if she did I'll - "

"Actually, Ryu refused to tell me who it was." Jisu quickly interrupts Yeji's tirade, hoping to spare her pink-haired friend from a scolding. "I guess I just had a gut instinct that it was you. After all, you were the only person other than Yuna who seemed to have noticed that I existed at that point."

"That's because you were as quiet as a mouse back then." Yeji giggles, reaching over to pinch Jisu's cheeks. "Now I just wish I could find your mute button."

"Never gonna happen!" Jisu laughs, sticking her tongue out at her friend as she slips out of their booth to order their drinks. "You're stuck with me forever now!"

"I sure hope so!" Yeji grins widely, shooting finger hearts at Jisu as she waits in line - and for once, Jisu allows herself to hope so too.

**• • • • •**

**~ 4th December ~**

By early December, Yeji has become a permanent fixture in Jisu's life. Hardly a day passes without them spending time together. Yeji sits with Jisu in the majority of their shared classes, helping her to translate any unfamiliar words before the Canadian girl even has to ask. The two of them just seem to understand each other in a way that Jisu hasn't encountered in a long time, so she's undeniably grateful for that connection.

"What's your dream?" Jisu asks one afternoon, as she delicately paints Yeji's nails a startling shade of neon green. They're supposed to be in a lecture, but the professor hadn't shown up, so they'd waited twenty minutes before deciding to bunk off and hang out in Yeji's dorm instead. "I know that you're studying business, but what do you want to do when you graduate?"

"Honestly, I still don't have a clear idea of what path I want to take." Yeji shrugs, intently watching the precise strokes that Jisu is applying to her nails. "My brother and I have discussed running a dance studio before - since I'm studying business and he's studying performing arts - but that's probably too big of a dream, even for us."

"No dream is too big, Yeji. If you can dream it, you can do it."

"You wouldn't be saying that if my dream was to marry a Prince." Yeji giggles, attempting to blow a strand of her dark hair out of her eyes.

"I think you'd somehow find a way to manage it." Jisu teases, using a cotton bud to clean away the smears of stray polish from Yeji's cuticles. "I'm sure you'll be able to run a dance school once you graduate, Yeji - it sounds like you and your brother have it all figured out already. Besides, I've seen how well you two lead the team together at practices, so it's easy to see you doing that in the future." A few days previously, Jisu had learnt that the other co-captain of the university dance team is Yeji's twin brother, Hyunjin. Considering how similar the siblings’ appearances are, Jisu feels a little dense for not having realised it earlier. "If that's your dream, you shouldn't be afraid to chase it."

"Thanks, Su." Yeji smiles softly, tipping forward until her forehead gently rests on Jisu's shoulder. "I'm glad that you believe in me."

"How could I not, when I've seen you dance?" Even though she's simply pointing out a fact, Jisu can feel herself blushing a little as she compliments Yeji's skills. "If you do start your own studio, I'll be your first student."

When Yeji looks up at Jisu, her eyes shining brightly with hope, their faces are only inches apart. "You promise?"

Jisu blinks down at her friend, pointedly ignoring the way that their close proximity makes her pulse quicken. "I promise."

**• • • • •**

**~ 15th December ~**

There's only a handful of days until the start of winter break, so Jisu is understandably perturbed when one of her professors assigns the class a presentation due to be given on the last day of term. The only upside to the stressful project is that they're allowed to complete it in pairs; naturally, Yeji and Jisu choose to partner up with each other.

So that's how the two girls find themselves sitting in the library on a Tuesday evening, the hands of the clock slowly crawling towards midnight. In reality, only Yeji is actually still working, adding the finishing touches needed to perfect their presentation. Jisu is simply providing her friend with moral support by accompanying her to the library and then proceeding to curl up in one of the startlingly lumpy (yet surprisingly comfortable) armchairs to take a nap. Although Jisu is only drifting semi-consciously between dreaming and reality rather than being sound asleep, it still takes her a few bewildered moments to realise that she's being gently shaken awake.

"Jisu, wake up!" Yeji hisses excitedly, leaning in so close that her dark hair tickles her friend's cheeks.

"Huh? What's happening?" Jisu mumbles groggily, nearly elbowing Yeji in the face as she rubs the sleep from her eyes. "Nothing's on fire, right?"

"What? No, nothing's on fire. Look outside! It's snowing!" Yeji claps her hands together frantically, as excited as a kid in a candy shop by the change in the weather.

"It's the first snow of the year, isn't it?" Jisu asks quietly, remembering that they're still in the library - even if it is nearly midnight.

Yeji clearly doesn't care enough about the rules to control her enthusiasm or care about getting banned from the building. "Yes it is! C'mon, we have to go outside right now!"

"But it's going to be so cold!" Jisu whines, although she's already tugging on her coat and gloves, a bubble of excitement swelling up in her chest. "If I get hypothermia then you're paying for my hospital bills."

"Happily!" Yeji laughs, grabbing Jisu's hand and pulling her out of her chair. "Hurry up, Su! I want to go out!"

"Okay, okay - calm down! Let's go." Jisu chuckles, letting Yeji lead her down the stairs and out into the night.

When the two girls burst out of the library, they're instantly hit by a blast of bitterly cold air. A flurry of pure white snow swirls in the sky around them, and Jisu barely has time to admire the picturesque scene before Yeji is pulling her out into the empty courtyard, swinging her around so quickly that her vision blurs. Jisu can't help but laugh breathlessly, feeling every ounce of stress melt out of her body as the world becomes nothing more than her and Yeji, twirling around in the snow without a care in the world. Jisu doesn't believe in perfection, but she's certain that she'll hold onto the memory of such a magical night for the rest of her life.

After the two girls finally run out of energy, they stand together under the winter sky as the snow continues to fall around them. Jisu tips her head back to look up at the stars, reaching out her hand to catch snowflakes on her palm. "It's so beautiful out here."

"You know what's more beautiful than the snow?" Yeji whispers, gazing directly into Jisu's eyes. "Me."

Jisu tries to keep a straight face, but it's impossible for her to hold back her laughter. "You're shameless."

"And yet you're not denying that I'm beautiful." Yeji grins, dramatically flipping her dark hair - damp with melted snow - over her shoulder. "We should build a snowman. I don't want to let this weather go to waste."

"We still have a couple of days before the holidays begin. If it keeps snowing overnight we can drag the others out of bed in the morning and have a snowball fight." Jisu suggests, already excited by the prospect of getting to pelt her friends with snow. "I'm using you as a human shield against Yuna though."

"Who says that I'm going to team up with you?" Yeji jokes, sticking her tongue out at her friend. "I've spent years fighting against Hyunjin every winter, so I'm an expert at snowball fights."

"Meanie." Jisu pouts, though she allows Yeji to wrap her arms around her and pull her close, so that the two girls are huddled together in order to be able to leach off of each other's warmth.

"Are you sure that you're going to be alright spending Christmas here by yourself?" Yeji asks for the third time that week. "I feel terrible about leaving you here alone. You have to promise me that you'll get enough sleep and remember to eat three meals a day."

"What are you, my mother?" Jisu teases, gently prodding the end of Yeji's nose, which has turned red in the cold night air. "I'll be totally fine. It'll give me the chance to catch up on some of the class readings that I'm behind on."

"It's a shame I can't just kidnap you and bring you home with me." Yeji says quietly, hugging her friend even closer (Jisu suspects that she's being used as a hot water bottle). "I hope you know that I'm probably going to call you every day."

"You'd better. I'm probably going to be bored out of my mind here, so I need to live the holiday festivities vicariously through you."

"I'll do my best." Yeji promises, as she traces a pattern that Jisu can't decipher into her friend's shoulder. "I'm really going to miss you."

For some reason, those words make tears spring to Jisu's eyes, so she presses her face into Yeji's neck and chuckles to hide her emotion. "Don't be so sappy - you're only going to be gone until the new year! You survived without me for two decades, so two weeks should be a piece of cake."

"You can't stop me from missing you." Yeji huffs, gently brushing away the fragile snowflakes that have settled on Jisu's cheekbones. "You're my best friend, Su."

Those words make Jisu's heart falter momentarily because - as strange as it may sound - she's never had a best friend before, and she doesn’t entirely understand what it entails. Does Yeji expect more from her than she's already giving? Is she expected to act differently now that she's been gifted that title? However, even though there are a thousand different thoughts racing through her head, ultimately, Jisu decides that she doesn't really care, because her worries don't seem as significant when she's around Yeji. Therefore, before she can drastically overthink her response, Jisu simply says the words that are on her mind: "You're my best friend too, Yeji."


	2. Friends To Lovers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments & Kudos are greatly appreciated :)

**~ 31st December ~**

True to her word, not a single day passes over the winter break without Jisu receiving a call from Yeji. For the most part, their conversations last for a little under an hour and involve Yeji reciting the highlights of her day while Jisu giggles uncontrollably at the girl's hilarious retellings of her chaotic antics. The daily updates almost make Jisu feel as if she's personally included in the winter festivities, so she's incredibly grateful that despite being surrounded by her family, Yeji never seems to forget about her. More often than not, Jisu finds herself drifting off to sleep almost immediately after their phone calls end. Secretly, Jisu thinks that she'd be happy to fall asleep to the soothing sound of Yeji's voice every night for the rest of her life.

On New Year's Eve, Jisu takes the train to her hometown of Incheon. Despite the fact that she hasn't been back to anywhere other than the city's airport in almost fifteen years, the unmistakable smell of sea salt that hits her as she arrives in the coastal town makes her feel as if she's being welcomed back with open arms. A wave of nostalgia washes over Jisu as she walks through the same streets that she did as a child, pushing her to the brink of tears on more than one occasion.

As the winter sun begins to descend towards the horizon, Jisu heads for higher ground, since there's one final thing that she has to do before the year ends.

Hours crawl by and the temperature drops dramatically, but despite the night air feeling so chillingly cold against her skin that she's almost certain that icicles are going to begin forming on her eyelashes at any moment, Jisu remains at the top of the hill. In a way, she feels obligated to remain in that one spot for as long as she can bear, attempting to make up for the time that she lost during the many years she was absent from her hometown. Whilst Jisu knows that she shouldn't feel guilty over the things that she couldn't control, that doesn't prevent the emotion from manifesting of its own accord.

Yeji's daily phone call comes at five minutes to midnight, when Jisu is perched on a crumbling stone wall, gazing out over the vast ocean.

"Hi, Su." Yeji chirps, sounding suspiciously like she may have had a few alcoholic drinks. Her end of the call is flooded with muffled background noise, hinting that she's attending a party. "I'm glad you answered."

"Of course I did." Jisu can't help but smile at her friend's enthusiasm. "You didn't think I'd be out partying alone, did you?"

"You never know!" Yeji says, and Jisu just _knows_ that she's grinning on the other end of the phone.

"How was your day?" Jisu asks, tugging her almost oppressively fluffy scarf (a Christmas present from Chaeryeong, who's always joking that she lends her own winter clothing to Jisu more than she wears it herself) more snuggly around her neck.

"It was... chaotic. I almost accidentally burnt my brother's eyebrows off with a sparkler, which was absolutely hilarious until he decided to dump a bucket of snow over my head in retaliation. I swear Hyunjin's such a drama queen sometimes." Yeji can't hold back her giggles as she recalls the incident. "How have you been?"

"I've..." It takes Jisu a moment to consider how best to answer the question. "I've been... alright, I suppose."

Unfortunately, Jisu's vague response does nothing to satisfy Yeji's curiosity. "Are you sure that you're alright? You sound... sad."

"I'm just tired." Jisu tells her best friend, running a hand through her dark hair, which has become hopelessly tangled by the untamed sea breeze.

"You can tell me anything, Jisu - you know that right?"

"I know." Jisu assures Yeji, before swiftly changing the subject. "Are you going to make a wish at midnight?"

"It would be a waste not to, right?" Yeji indulges Jisu’s question, though she doesn't seen entirely content to forget about their previous conversation.

"What're you going to wish for?"

This time, there's a lighter note to Yeji's tone when she replies. "If I tell you that, then it won't come true."

"I guess I'll just have to wait and see."

"I guess you will."

As the first wave of fireworks explode over Jisu's head, lacing the night sky with a vibrant light that bathes the distant stars in dazzling colours, the girl closes her eyes tightly and wishes with all her might. The new year is about to begin, and Jisu can think of no better person to share the moment with than Yeji.

**• • • • •**

**~ 6th January ~**

When Jisu receives an unexpected knock on her door early on a Wednesday morning, to say that she's surprised would be an understatement. University classes don't begin again until the following week, meaning that none of Jisu's friends are supposed to return to campus for several more days, so the girl is totally clueless as to who could possibly be pounding on her door loud enough to wake the dead.

When a half-asleep Jisu finally manages the arduous task of unlocking the door (she seriously regrets attaching five different mini-plushies onto her key ring), it takes several moments of awkward staring for her tired brain to process what she's seeing.

"Yeji?" Jisu asks incredulously, still hesitant to believe that the person standing before her is really her best friend. "This is a dream right?"

"I promise it's not a dream." Yeji chuckles, leaning forward to softly poke the end of Jisu's nose. "Did you miss me?"

"Of course I did." Jisu manages to mumble, still not having fully processed the situation. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming back until the weekend?"

"As much as I love my family, I tend to find that I can only tolerate my mother's nagging for a short period of time before it starts to drive me insane." Yeji explains with a tired sigh.

"Does your mother complain more than Yuna?" Jisu asks curiously, which makes Yeji snort in amusement.

"No one complains more than Yuna."

"She really is the Queen of whining really loudly until she gets her way." Jisu agrees, before her mind flicks back to the fact that her best friend is standing at her front door with nothing other than a poor excuse (which Jisu doesn't fully believe) to explain her unexpected presence. "Thank you for coming back early, Yeji. I'm guessing that you're probably only here because you're worried about me, so I'm grateful for that."

"I'm here because I missed you, Su." Yeji smiles softly, pulling Jisu into a tight hug. "Two weeks without you really did feel like an eternity."

Jisu practically melts into Yeji's arms, since her life has been mostly void of anything more than minimal human contact since her friends went home for the holidays. "It really did feel like forever."

"It's good to be back." Yeji sighs contently, as if all of her accumulated stress has finally evaporated. "Anyway... since it's just going to be the two of us for the next few days, what do you want to do first?"

"The sun's barely risen yet, Yeji - I want to go back to sleep for at least another two hours." Jisu whines, gesturing to the comfy pyjamas she's still clad in.

"A nap sounds good to me." Yeji grins, leaping onto Jisu's unmade bed and immediately burying herself under the covers.

Jisu bites back her laughter as she kicks off her slippers and slides under the blankets next to her best friend, who immediately snuggles closer and wraps her limbs around Jisu like a clingy baby monkey. "Remind me why I missed you again?"

Yeji presses her face into Jisu's neck, her eyes already closed peacefully, and Jisu can't help but notice that her hair smells of burnt vanilla and cinnamon. "Because you can't live without me."

As scary as the reality is, Jisu can't help but wonder how much truth that statement really holds.

**• • • • •**

**~ 16th January ~**

After having toiled away relentlessly for six gruelling hours in order to submit an important paper before the looming deadline, Jisu finds herself in dire need of a break. Thankfully, Ryujin and Chaeryeong have been keeping Yuna occupied for the day, because as much as she loves her roommate, the blonde-haired girl is a bundle of joy that Jisu simply doesn't have the energy to wrangle when her brain feels like it's about to shrivel up and rot away into nothing. Still, the air in the dorm is beginning to feel more than a little stale after spending thirty-six hours straight trapped there studying her ass off, so Jisu doesn't even have to think twice when a little voice in her head suggests that she pays a visit to the roof.

The pale winter sun is still visible over the horizon as Jisu steps out onto the charming terrace. There are no flowers in bloom during the bitter winter seasons, but she can vividly imagine how beautiful the rooftop must look in the summer. Jisu has barely made it five paces before she notices a lone figure sitting by the railing, a lit cigarette dangling from their slender fingers.

It's Yeji.

The realisation sends a chill shooting down Jisu's spine. She's never seen the dance captain smoke before, so the sudden change can only indicate that something is wrong. As Jisu moves closer, the lack of emotion in Yeji's eyes becomes more apparent, reminiscent of the first time that the two of them met.

"Hey." Jisu says softly, nudging Yeji's shoulder gently as she leans against the railing beside her best friend. "Are you okay?" The answer is very clearly _no_ , but Jisu doesn't know what else to say when she's never witnessed the older girl seeming so troubled before.

Yeji doesn't respond for several long, tense moments, slowly taking another drag of her cigarette as she looks out blankly at the bustling campus. "Yes. No. I'm not sure if I know anymore."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Yeji finally looks up at her, the glazed expression in her eyes shattering. "Why do you care, Jisu?"

The hurtful comment makes Jisu reel back, feeling as if she's been punched in the stomach. "Wh...what? Why would you say that? Am I not allowed to care about my best friend?"

"No, it's not... I just..." Yeji expression is torn between apologetic and angry - as if she's waging an internal battle against herself. "Shit, I'm sorry, Su. I don't want to burden you with my petty problems."

"If you want to talk, then I'll listen. I'd never judge you, Yeji."

"I know you wouldn't - even if you should." For a moment, it seems as though Yeji will hold her tongue, but then her shoulder muscles relax ever so slightly, as if she can't hold her feelings back any longer. "You know my brother, right?"

"Yeah, of course." Jisu's met Hyunjin a handful of times over the last few months. Though they don't share any classes, she's chatted a little with the dance co-captain on the occasions that she's attended practice to watch her friends. Yeji's twin brother is every bit as talented and gorgeous as his sister.

"Up until we started high school, the two of us were practically inseparable. Those annoying sets of twins who can finish each other's sentences? That was us. When we were put into separate classes in middle school for the first time, Hyunjin secretly cried for a week. We were each other's halves, y'know?" Yeji gazes out over the campus, letting the happy memories flow over her. "We never needed anyone else because we always had each other - and maybe I naively thought that things would always be that way between us. Sure, we'd grow up and fall in love with other people, but we'd always be the most important person to each other."

Jisu doesn't know how to respond to that, so she simply shuffles closer to her best friend, hoping that her presence can offer Yeji at least a little bit of comfort.

"Hyunjin came out to my parents when we were sixteen. I didn't find out until three months later, when he brought his boyfriend over for dinner one night, and Hyunjin looked at him like he was the only thing in the world that mattered. My _twin brother_ \- the person I loved more than anyone else in the world - didn't even bother to share one of the biggest parts of his life with me. That tore me apart."

"I'm so sorry, Yeji." Jisu has never had a sibling - let alone a twin - so she can't even begin to imagine how painful that must have been for her best friend.

"I held it together that night, because what choice did I have? I couldn't ruin my brother's happiness, because Seungmin's one of the best people I've ever met - he's talented and funny and good looking - and I'm so glad that Hyunjin has him. He's like a brother to me now, but at the time, I couldn't help but feel like Seungmin was replacing me. I guess I was jealous because it seemed like my twin didn't need me anymore." Yeji's hands clasp into tight fists, and Jisu wishes that she could do something to help erase the pain. "I went off the rails for a while after that. Hyunjin and I always danced as a duo in the past - since our styles blend so well together - but I started performing alone from then on. I began staying out all night and skipping school to travel to competitions all over the country. I took stupid risks because I just felt so incredibly lost... doing dangerous shit made me feel _something_ , even if it was never enough to fill the void for very long."

The pain in Yeji's voice shines so brightly that Jisu almost tells her to stop, terrified that she's pushing herself further than she can handle. She knows, however, that Yeji's one of the strongest people that she's ever met, so Jisu allows her to continue talking.

"One day, I went cliff diving with my friends, and things didn't quite go as planned. I jumped off a ledge without thinking about what lay below the surface. The water was rough that night, so the current caught me and tossed me around like a rag doll. I hit my head on a rock, and if one of my friends hadn't risked their own life to drag me out, I probably wouldn't be here to tell the story." Yeji rubs at her glassy eyes a little, blinking rapidly as she tries to fight off her swelling emotions. "It was the most terrifying experience of my life, because I nearly died that day. It finally made me realise that I couldn't carry on living my life the way I was. Hyunjin barely left my bedside for more than five minutes during my entire stay in hospital. He was distraught, and the fact that I was the one who was responsible for that... it was beyond devastating. I felt so guilty, because I'd been so caught up in worrying about my own feelings that I'd never stopped to think about what I was doing to the people around me."

"You're close again with Hyunjin now though, aren't you?" Jisu dares to ask, slowly carding her fingers through the girl's dark hair. It's as soft as silk, and Jisu wishes that she knew which brand of conditioner Yeji favours. "How did you move beyond the past?"

"I told Hyunjin the truth. When I started acting wildly, he was terrified that he was going to lose me completely. After I'd recovered, we drove out to the coast; just the two of us. We sat by the ocean and just talked about everything that we'd let build up between us for almost a year. Hyunjin didn't tell me that he was gay because he was terrified of disappointing me. He told me that if I hadn't accepted him for who he is, he probably wouldn't have been able to carry on. I told him that I felt like he didn't need me anymore - that I felt alone and isolated because he'd found someone else that he loved more than me. We had some issues to work through, but we made it out the other side. I think we both realised that there's no limit when it comes to love."

Jisu breathes a tiny sigh of relief. "I'm glad that everything worked out for you two. You both deserve happiness, Yeji."

Yeji nods uncertainly - almost as if she doesn't truly believe that. "Really, I think that what hurt me the most was that he did it without me. He left me to carry my burden alone, and I struggled to forgive him for that for a long time. If he'd have just told me that he was going to come out to our parents, we could've done it together; he wouldn't have had to go through it alone, and neither would I."

Jisu knows that her eyes must be as wide as saucers as she stares at her best friend in complete shock. She hardly dares to ask the question that burns on her tongue. "You mean...?"

"I like girls." Yeji whispers as she tips her head back to look up at the sky, painted a dazzling orange by the setting sun. "I like boys too, but yeah... I've only ever told a handful of people that I'm not straight. Hyunjin, Seungmin, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna all know - my parents still don't, because I'm too scared to tell them the truth."

"But your family are supportive of Hyunjin, aren't they? Why do you think that they'll treat you any differently?" Jisu doesn't get it - why would Yeji's parents accept one twin's sexuality but not the other's?

"I'm afraid that even though they would never dare say it to my face, they'll be disappointed in me. If both Hyunjin and I end up in same-sex relationships, the chances of us having any biological kids are low. I don't want to rob them of the chance to have grandchildren because of a choice that I made."

"It's not a _choice_ , Yeji. You can't help the way you feel." Jisu has to fight down her own rising emotions, angry that her best friend feels as if she can't be true to herself - that she owes her family something that they have no right to ask of her. "You shouldn't let that hold you back - especially if you haven't talked to your parents about it. This is _your_ life; you have to live it the way that _you_ want to."

"I know, it's just... even after all this time, I'm still so scared." Yeji inhales a deep, shaky breath, as if she's both physically and mentally bracing herself to allow the next words to spill from her mouth. "I like someone. That's why all of these thoughts have suddenly come rushing back. I just... I want to go for it, but I don't want to disappoint anyone or mess things up. I think Hyunjin knows how I'm feeling, because he keeps telling me follow my heart." She chuckles dryly, her breath catching painfully in her throat. "I really hate that phrase."

"Only you can decide what your future holds, but don't be afraid to chase whatever brings you happiness." Jisu easily recites the words that have always gifted her comfort and strength in her darkest moments. "I'll always be here for you though - no matter what happens. You're my best friend, Yeji; I don't want that to change."

"Thank you, Su. I don't know what I'd do without you." Yeji drapes her strong arms over Jisu's narrow shoulders and pulls her in close, hugging her almost heartbreakingly tightly, before finally bursting into tears.

Jisu holds her best friend close on the rooftop as she cries long into the dark night, wondering why her own heart feels as though it's cracking into pieces.

**• • • • •**

**~ 6th February ~**

Three weeks later, Jisu and Yeji sit huddled together on the stairwell where they met for the first time all those months before, passing a bottle of cherry vodka between them. There's a party going on somewhere in the building, but both girls are more than happy to skip it, since neither of them are in the mood to be around anyone other than each other.

"Yeji?" Jisu whispers into the silence, tipping her head back until it rests against the window frame, dislodging a chunk of peeling paint.

"Yeah?" Her best friend replies, her dark eyes fluttering open as she brings the bottle to her lips once more.

"Since you've told me a secret about yourself, can I tell you something about me?"

Yeji's surprise is visible for only a short moment before she quickly fixes her serene mask securely back in place. "You don't have to, Jisu."

"I want to, though." Jisu tells her firmly. Ever since Yeji had poured her heart out to her on the rooftop, Jisu hasn't been able to stop thinking about the level of trust that her best friend has placed in her - something that she finally feels she can replicate. "I want you to know about my past."

Yeji reaches out and laces their fingers together, helping to anchor her best friend down. "Then I'll listen to anything that you're willing to tell me."

So Jisu does.

"The day that we first met, you told me that you hoped I would find what I was looking for here in Seoul - like you knew that I was searching for something, even though I didn't really understand that myself." Jisu can still recall that moment as if it had happened yesterday - and she can't help but wonder if that first jarring interaction was what had driven her away from Yeji for so long.

"I remember." Yeji nods, her mind drifting back to the memory. "There was just something about you that seemed so... lost. I think that was one of the reasons that I was so drawn to you in the first place; I could see a part of myself in you." Jisu understands that. The night on the rooftop had illuminated the thread that connects the two girls together.

"In a way, you were right about me being here to find something. I spent the majority of my life living in Canada with my aunt, but I was actually born in Incheon." Jisu takes a deep breath, preparing to say the words that she so rarely allows herself to dwell on. "When I was five years old, my parents were killed in a helicopter crash on New Year's Eve. I was too young when it happened to really understand what was going on, so that time in my life is a bit of a blur for me; one day I had a family, and the next, they were gone."

Yeji simply pulls Jisu closer, wrapping her arms more tightly around her best friend's trembling frame. Jisu appreciates the quiet comfort, since she's long past needing sympathy for events that no one had any control over.

"Nowadays, I understand that I was lucky not to be with them when it happened, but for a long time I felt guilty that they had died, and yet I got to carry on living. It was hard for me to understand why something like that had happened to _me_. For years, all I could do was ask myself what I'd done to deserve a future without my parents in it."

"You were just a kid, Jisu - what happened wasn't your fault, and there was nothing you could have done about it." Yeji's words are spoken with such certainty that Jisu can't help but feel a burst of warmth flow through her chest. "Accidents happen, and sometimes there's nothing we can do to prevent them. Life simply isn't fair, but we have to keep moving forwards - even if seems impossible."

"It definitely felt that way for a while, but with my aunt's help, I did manage to rebuild my life - even if moving halfway across the world was what it took for me to do it."

"What made you decide to move back to South Korea after so many years?" Yeji asks carefully, evidently able to sense the direction that the conversation is moving in.

"Even as I was growing up in Canada, I was still able to remember so much about my childhood in South Korea, so for a long time, I still felt like I'd left a part of me behind when I moved abroad. I was never planning on attending university in Seoul - I was supposed to finish my education in Canada and then take up a role in the company that my parents left behind, because that's always been my dream." For so many years, that was all that Jisu could focus on. It was a goal that gave her strength even in the darkest of times, and it's something that she still hopes to achieve. "And then my plan changed in the blink of an eye, because I woke up one day and realised that I was beginning to forget things. Speaking Korean was becoming a burden that I avoided wherever possible, and I couldn't remember what colour my childhood house had been painted, or the way that the streetlights illuminated Incheon at night. It was all becoming a blur, and that terrified me. As soon as I realised what was happening, I arranged to transfer to a university in Seoul as quickly as I possibly could."

"And now you're here."

Jisu nods. "I made the right choice. I came here to try and regain the memories of South Korea that I'd lost, but I've also been lucky enough to meet you, Chae, Ryu and Yuna. Being here isn't just about my past anymore - it's about my present and future as well."

"As selfish as it might be, I'm really glad that you're here."

"So am I." Jisu says, without a hint of uncertainty. Moving back to South Korea has made her happier than she's been in years. The gaping wound that losing her parents so young had left in her heart is finally beginning to scab over, and given enough time, it may even begin to heal. "I'm not sure whether I believe in life after death - my thoughts on the subject have changed a lot over the years - but I still find myself hoping that my parents would be proud of me if they could see me now."

"Do _you_ think that they'd be proud of you?"

Jisu takes a moment to think, but deep in her heart, she already knows the answer. "Yeah, I think they would."

"Then that's all that matters." Yeji tells her firmly, squeezing her hand tightly. "I'm proud of you too, Jisu."

"Thank you for not giving up on me."

Yeji tenderly cups Jisu's chin in her soft hands, encouraging the girl to raise her eyes to meet her best friend's gentle gaze. "Never, Su. We're in this together, yeah?"

Jisu leans forward and carefully presses their foreheads together, so that just the tips of their noses are touching. "Yeah, together."

**• • • • •**

**~ 18th February ~**

For a reason that Jisu's never quite been able to identify, the campus library is always eerily quiet on a Thursday afternoon, making it the perfect place to work on her class assignments. Unfortunately for Jisu, despite the weather outside being gloriously sunny for a February day, her favourite section of the library has been invaded by a group of pests - more specifically - Yeji, Hyunjin and Seungmin.

Ever since Yeji had opened up about her past a month previously, Jisu has been eager to get to know her best friend's brother and his boyfriend a little better. Yeji was more than happy to fulfil that wish, and had invited Jisu out to grab coffee with the couple on several occasions. It turns out that the boys are highly entertaining to be around, with the combination of Seungmin's amusing comments and Hyunjin's hilarious antics making Jisu laugh so hard that her stomach aches for the rest of the day. They're good company, and Jisu's more than happy to expand her group of acquaintances that little bit further to accommodate the boys.

Unfortunately for Jisu, becoming friends with Hyunjin and Seungmin seemingly provides the boys with an open invitation to bother her whenever their paths cross, which is how the group ends up attempting to study together in the library that afternoon.

Regardless of the unexpected infiltration of her workspace, Jisu actually likes Seungmin a lot. Not only is the boy handsome and clever, but he's also witty and a quick-thinker, giving him the ability to think up startlingly savage remarks in the blink of an eye. The fact that he speaks fluent English is an added bonus, because it gives Jisu a chance to communicate in her dominant language - something that she greatly appreciates every once in a while. On the whole, Jisu finds that studying with Seungmin beside her is actually a fairly pleasant experience.

The twins, on the other hand, spend the majority of their time bickering with each other in the playful way that only siblings can. Although Jisu finds the way that Yeji and Hyunjin relentlessly tease each other hopelessly endearing to witness, it also means that her attempts to study are practically fruitless. Luckily, it quickly becomes evident that Jisu isn't the only one who finds the disturbance bothersome.

"I'm literally going to superglue your mouths shut if you don't stop squabbling." Seungmin casually threatens the twins without even looking up from his textbook.

"But Minnie...!" Hyunjin whines, sinking down deep into his chair. If there's anything that Jisu's learnt about Hyunjin over the last few weeks, it's that the boy has more of a flare for the dramatic than anyone she's ever met. "We've been struggling for weeks to perfect the choreography for the finale of the showcase. We're completely screwed if we don't iron out all of the kinks by the end of the week."

"Well _I'm_ struggling to hold myself back from beating both of you over the head with this book." Seungmin quips, sticking his tongue out at his boyfriend. "And don't think that I didn't notice you're questionable choice of words, Hwang Hyunjin."

"Are you doubting my innocence?" Hyunjin smiles sweetly, fluttering his unfairly long eyelashes at his boyfriend.

"Can you please not talk about this in front of me?" Yeji pleads, rolling up the notes she's been neglecting and relentlessly smacking Seungmin with them. "I really don't need to know anything more about my brother's sex life than I've already had the misfortune of accidentally hearing."

"Are you sure?" Seungmin grins cheekily, trying his best to block Yeji's attacks. "There's plenty of interesting stories about what we get up to that I'd be more than happy to torture you with."

"I'm going to make you _eat_ these notes if you don't quit talking."

"You're having a showcase?" Jisu interrupts her friends' squabbling, doing her best to push down the wave of hurt that threatens to engulf her; she doesn't understand why her Yeji would hide something of that calibre from her.

Hyunjin's jaw drops as he shoots his sister a wide-eyed look. "You didn't tell her that we're performing?"

"I was going to, I promise!" Yeji hurries to explain, the tips of her ears flushing bright red. "I was just waiting for the right opportunity, y'know? This showcase will be the first time that you've seen me perform on an actual stage, so I wanted to add an element of grandeur to the whole thing." The girl sighs, frustratedly raking a hand through her dark hair. "It makes sense that these two idiots would ruin the surprise."

"Next time, you should probably try _telling_ these two idiots that you're planning on keeping something a secret." Hyunjin grumbles, flicking his sister's forehead. "We might be twins, but that doesn't mean that I can read your mind. You know that our psychic powers stopped working when we turned ten."

"I'm almost certain that you two are actually aliens." Seungmin mutters, making the twins giggle.

"Of course we are! My first mission here on earth was to kidnap a human named Kim Seungmin, but I accidentally fell in love with him instead." Hyunjin grins soppily, leaning across the table to meet his boyfriend's waiting lips.

"You two are disgusting." Yeji whines, before swiftly averting her attention back to Jisu, who can't help but feel mildly bewildered by everything that she's just witnessed. "Anyway, since my plan to impress my best friend with a formal invitation has been totally trashed, I guess I'm just going to ask you now instead. Jisu, would you be willing to attend the dance team's showcase on the 27th February?"

The expression on Yeji's face is so openly earnest that Jisu can't help but smile, her hurt quickly melting away. "I'd love to."

Yeji instantly relaxes, evidently relieved that Jisu isn't upset at her for keeping the showcase a secret. "Perfect."

"You two are just too cute." Hyunjin simpers, shooting finger hearts in their direction.

"And you're a brat." Yeji grins brightly as she reaches over the table to smack her brother. Within moments, she's hurriedly sitting back in her seat when she receives a death stare from the grumpy librarian, which just makes the rest of the group burst into silent laughter.

Eventually, Hyunjin and Seungmin bid them goodbye, since a group of their friends are throwing a video game tournament which they promised they'd attend, and neither of them want to piss off the host's boyfriend - 'Changbin may be tiny, but he won't hesitate to annihilate us if we upset Felix by skipping tonight'.

Both Jisu and Yeji have several more pages of notes to trawl through, so the two girls choose to remain in the library, sitting across from each other in content silence. The fading winter sunlight streams in through the towering windows, casting Yeji in an angelic golden light that gives her the appearance of a goddess, unmatched in both beauty and intelligence. The scene is so serenely picturesque that Jisu almost wishes she could live in the moment for the rest of eternity.

Once Jisu begins looking at her best friend, she finds it almost impossible to look away, too caught up in noticing every little detail of her familiar face. Jisu's always thought that Yeji was beautiful, but now she isn't sure if that word is strong enough to describe her. It's in that moment that realisation hits Jisu like a freight train - she's falling for Yeji. As much as Jisu wants to brush the feeling off as nothing more than a passing crush, the more she delves into her feelings, the more she realises just how real they are. It's more than a little terrifying, because falling for your best friend is something that can only end badly - and the last thing that Jisu wants is for her friendship with Yeji to fall apart because she can't keep her emotions in check.

Once she manages to calm herself down a little bit, Jisu tries to go back to studying, but she simply can't seem to tear her attention away from Yeji. She's far too overwhelmed by the sudden rush of crushing clarity to be able to avert her eyes away from the amazing girl that sits in front of her, completely oblivious to the fierce battle that's raging inside of her best friend's heart.

As much as she wishes that she could banish it out of existence, Jisu can't cleanse the memory of cradling Yeji in her arms on the rooftop as her best friend confesses that she has a crush on a mysterious stranger. That thought is enough to send a stabbing pain echoing through Jisu's chest, because she's falling for Yeji - but Yeji's already fallen for someone that isn't Jisu.

**• • • • •**

**~ 25th February ~**

In the week that follows her epiphany about her feelings for Yeji, Jisu avoids her best friend at all costs. She tells Yuna that she's caught a stomach bug, and then proceeds to swaddle herself up in her blankets and refuses to leave the dorm to attend any of her classes. Yeji's texts light up her phone screen throughout the week, growing more and more concerned with each passing day; Jisu leaves them all on read.

She knows that ignoring her best friend isn't a permanent solution to her dilemma, but Jisu doesn't know how else to handle the sudden influx of strong, pulsing feelings that make her want to hold onto Yeji tightly and never let her go. All Jisu can do is attempt to buy herself enough time to wrangle her emotions under control so that she doesn't screw up her painfully platonic relationship with Yeji any more than she already has.

On Friday afternoon, since wallowing in self-pity has caused her to work up quite the appetite, Jisu decides to risk taking a trip to the overpriced campus convenience store in search of her favourite snacks. She knows that all of her friends are supposed to be in lectures, so Jisu doesn't bother dressing up in an elaborate disguise for the short journey, certain that she won't run into anyone that she's busy trying to avoid.

"Jisu!" A deep voice calls out determinedly, causing the stunned girl to instantly freeze on the spot.

Unfortunately, it turns out that there was another individual that Jisu forgot to factor into the equation, because when she turns around, Jisu discovers that the voice belongs to none other than the twin brother of her best friend. Jisu immediately contemplates making a run for it, because Hyunjin looks _angry_ , his expression thunderous.

"Don't you dare run away from me!" As if he can read her mind, Hyunjin calls out to Jisu again, practically jogging the last few metres until he's stood directly in front of her. Despite him not being the tallest person that she's ever encountered, Hyunjin still towers over Jisu's tiny frame, making the girl feel like an injured antelope being sized up to be devoured for dinner by a powerful lion.

Jisu immediately decides that her best approach is to feign ignorance and hope that Hyunjin falls for her innocent act. "Do you need something?"

"What the fuck did you do to my sister?" Hyunjin practically growls. "You two were completely fine the last time I saw you together, so what the hell changed?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." It's not entirely a lie, although Jisu can guess by the tone of Yeji's most recent messages that her best friend is beginning to suffer as a result of the unexplained silence.

"Oh yeah?" Hyunjin, takes another step towards Jisu, clearly not afraid of challenging her. "So you don't want to explain why your _best friend_ has been wandering around for the entire week looking like a kicked puppy?"

"I haven't seen Yeji all week. I've been sick." Jisu mutters, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on the cobblestones beneath her feet.

"I call bullshit on that, Jisu."

"What right do you have to - " Jisu begins, only to be immediately interrupted by Hyunjin, his voice easily rising over her own and impatiently cutting her off.

"Yeji tried to me tell that everything was fine - as if her _twin brother_ can't tell when she's lying to his face. The fact that she won't explain the situation to me makes it fairly obvious that _you're_ somehow involved, since you're practically the only thing in her life that she insists on keeping a secret from me."

Jisu wants to snap at Hyunjin and scold him for pinning the entirety of the blame on her, but the bright, bleeding hurt that seems to seep from the boy's entire being makes her swallow down her venom in favour of honesty. "I _swear_ I haven't said anything to your sister. I haven't seen Yeji all week, but we didn't fight or anything. It's just... I guess I should have told her that I needed some time."

"Then why is she hurting so much? It's definitely something to do with you, Jisu - and I thought that I could take a pretty good guess at the reason why, but now I'm not so sure." Hyunjin stares intently at Jisu, as if he's trying to gaze into her soul in order to determine whether she's telling the truth. "You really didn't say anything to her?"

"Nothing. I don't understand why you keep asking me that, but I haven't said anything to intentionally hurt your sister. After all, she’s my best friend - although it seems like you don't care about the meaning of _those_ words."

Just as Jisu is about to turn on her heel and get away while she still has the chance, Hyunjin says something that stops her in her tracks: "Do you have a problem with me being gay?"

" _What_?" Jisu's mouth drops open, totally stunned. She's so shocked by the question that all she can do for a few moments is gape at the boy as she struggles to regain her composure. "Of course I don't! I've only ever dated girls before, so what sort of hypocrite would I be if I judged you for not being straight?"

Hyunjin's eyes grow impossibly wide upon hearing Jisu's words, his expression frozen somewhere between completely stunned and extremely frustrated. "Oh my god." He mutters under his breath, his voice so quiet that Jisu can barely hear his words. "She really didn't tell you, did she?"

"Tell me what, Hyunjin?" Jisu sighs, beyond frustrated with the conversation that she never wanted to be a part of in the first place. "I can't deal with this cryptic shit right now. I'm already enough of a mess as it is - I don't need whatever it is that you're hinting at to add to my list of concerns."

"I really, really wish that I could tell you, Jisu, but I think I've already accidentally meddled enough as it is." Hyunjin sighs, frustratedly running his slender fingers through his hair - half of which is pulled back into a ponytail, allowing the rest to fall to just below his chin. Jisu can't tell whether he's growing it out, or if he just really needs a haircut (he looks undeniably hot either way, but Jisu's not about to tell him that). "Look, I know I have no right to ask this of you, but please make sure that you're at our showcase. I know that Yeji wants you to be there more than anything, even if she won't tell you that herself."

"I'll be there." Jisu's already resigned herself to attending the showcase no matter what. She couldn't stay away from it if she tried - not only because Yuna would throttle her for missing her performance, but because Jisu would never miss the chance to watch Yeji perform, even if every single one of her best friend's movements is likely to feel like a knife is piercing through her poor, weak heart. "I wouldn't miss watching her dance for the world."

"Perfect!" Hyunjin's pretty lips quirk upwards into a satisfied grin. "I'm forbidding you from bringing flowers for your confession, though - they're just so cliché nowadays."

Jisu's blood runs cold, because it's becoming fairly obvious that Hyunjin knows a lot more than he originally let on. "What? Hyunjin, how do you know that I...?"

But Hyunjin is no longer looking at her, his eyes having already latched onto an approaching figure. "I can only guess at what you feel for my sister, Jisu - but if it's anything close to what I feel for Seungmin, you should tell her. I don't think you'll regret it." Hyunjin shoots a floundering Jisu a soft, encouraging smile, before he's bounding off again, practically pouncing on his waiting boyfriend and nearly knocking him over. Seungmin simply chuckles and pulls him into a sweet kiss, used to Hyunjin's chaotic antics.

As she watches the couple melt away into their own little world, Jisu can't help but crave the sort of love that they so blatantly have for each other - a love that she's terrified is already blossoming inside of her heart, no matter how many times she tries to lock it away. The feeling is enough to send her pulse into overdrive, because as terrifying as the thought is, maybe confessing to Yeji is all that Jisu needs to do to get a love like that of her own.

**• • • • •**

**~ 27th February ~**

Jisu's heart is pounding rapidly as she enters the auditorium where the dance team's showcase is being held. Almost every seat is full, since she arrives at the venue as late as she possibly can, so there's only a handful of minutes until the show begins. Whilst she usually detests not being on time, Jisu doesn't want to risk running into Yeji before she's mentally prepared herself to face her best friend. She just needs a little while longer to get her nerves under control, because Jisu's made up her mind that she's going to confess to Yeji after her performance is over. Ever since Hyunjin had confronted Jisu two days previously, the boy's words have relentlessly echoed around in her mind, forcing the girl to confront her feelings rather than burying them deep down inside of her. Jisu knows that if she doesn't confess, she'll regret it for the rest of her life (although she might be in danger of succumbing to a stress-induced heart attack before she gets the chance to tell Yeji how she feels).

"Jisu!" A loud voice calls out, cutting cleanly through the excited chatter of the crowd. When Jisu manages to pinpoint the source of the voice, she's surprised to see a familiar figure beckoning her over in their direction. Seeing no easy escape from the situation, she hesitantly makes her way towards the front of the auditorium, squeezing through the bustling aisles as smoothly as she can manage while feeling like she's about to pass out.

"Hey, Seungmin." Jisu mumbles, as she cautiously slips into the seat that the boy has evidently been saving for her.

"You don't need to look so frightened of me." Seungmin chuckles, offering her a packet of strawberry laces which she takes gratefully, pleased to have something to divert her attention away from her raging nerves. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly happy about the way that you've been treating Yeji over the past week, but I think that I understand why you've been acting the way you have. I don't blame you for being afraid of your feelings, Jisu."

As if by magic, Jisu can feel her defences tumbling down around her as soon as the words flow out of Seungmin's mouth. For some reason, she just trusts him - even though she doesn't entirely understand why. "I'm really scared. I'm terrified of messing up and ruining our friendship."

"So was I. No matter what the fairytales try to tell you, falling in love with someone is never simple - especially when that person is your best friend. Things can get difficult sometimes - and happy endings aren't always guaranteed - but that doesn't mean that it's not worth trying." Seungmin tells her honestly, never one to sugarcoat his words. "It was worth it for me."

"How did you know that you were in love with Hyunjin?" Jisu asks quietly, keeping her gaze fixed firmly on the sugary sweet that she's clutching onto like a lifeline.

Seungmin takes a few seconds to mull over how best to respond to the question. "Growing up, I didn't believe in love. I can vividly remember being kept up at night by my parents' fights throughout my childhood. As I'm sure you can imagine, living that kind of reality paints a pretty dark idea of romance in a child's head. Anyway, my parents got divorced when I was thirteen, and I chose to move to a new town with my mother and sister because I wanted a fresh start. That was when I met Hyunjin. For him, it was love at first sight - from the moment he saw me, he just knew that I was the one. From then on, he latched onto me stubbornly, and I never managed to get rid of him - although I certainly tried like hell in the beginning."

"You didn't like him at first?" In Jisu's opinion, Seungmin's anecdote is eerily similar to the beginning of her road to friendship with Yeji.

"It was more that I was scared of tainting his reputation. Hyunjin was easily one of the most popular guys at our school, so the last thing he should've done is associate with someone like me. Whilst I might not physically embody the traditional nerd stereotype, I've always tried hard in class, and I don't go out of my way to fit in with the crowd. Hyunjin played football and danced like he was born to do it, while I preferred thwacking a baseball about and singing to myself in the shower. Him and I are very different people, but we shared practically all of our classes, so Hyunjin was always by my side. It took me a long time to get used to that, but eventually I caved in and stopped trying to distance myself from him, and we became inseparable. Hyunjin's one of the sweetest, funniest, most beautiful people I've ever met, so it was only naturally that people teased him for choosing to spend time with someone like me."

Seungmin pauses for a moment to regather his composure, and Jisu pats his shoulder reassuringly. "One day, a classmate made a comment about us that really shook me up, and I was selfish enough to take my irritation out on Hyunjin. I told him that I didn't want someone like him in my life, because it was _his_ fault that people were bothering me - even though the gossip affected him too. Hyunjin stayed away from me for a month after that because he genuinely thought that I hated him; those thirty days were the longest of my life. Eventually, I swallowed my pride and apologised to Hyunjin, because I realised how desperately I missed having him by my side. It was pretty obvious to me by that point that I'd fallen in love with him without even realising it, but I was content to keep my lips sealed about my feelings because I knew that there was barely even a minuscule chance that Hyunjin would ever feel the same way."

Jisu snorts at that statement, which makes Seungmin chuckle a little too. "I was an oblivious idiot back then, but I've got a lot better at understanding Hyunjin now. Anyway... he forgave me, but he also decided that he couldn't keep being my friend without telling me how he really felt. He asked me to go with him to the lookout point above our town, which I agreed to do - even though I was fairly convinced that he was going to push me to my death off the edge of the cliff. Instead of committing murder, Hyunjin confessed that he was in love with me. Obviously I had a bit of a breakdown after such an unexpected revelation, but eventually I managed to regain my wits enough to relay my own feelings. From then on, we were boyfriends, but Hyunjin wanted to keep it a secret at that point, so it was a long time before we told anyone that we were together."

Jisu can't help but recall the story that Yeji had told her about Hyunjin's fear of people turning their backs on him once they found out about his sexuality. "Was it difficult to hide your relationship?"

"It definitely wasn't easy, but we managed because we always had each other's backs. Even when Hyunjin was struggling to cope in the aftermath of Yeji's accident, I stayed by his side - because that was the promise that we'd made to each other. Love is a journey, and there's no one I'd rather have by my side than Hyunjin."

"I'm glad that everything worked out for you two." Jisu tells him truthfully.

"Thank you." Seungmin grins, his cheeks flushing a faint pink. "Can I ask _you_ something now, Jisu?"

"I guess..."

"Are you in love with Yeji?" Seungmin dives straight to the point, stunning Jisu a little.

"Love is a very strong word." Jisu answers meekly, fiddling distractedly with the hem of her dress. "But I like her a lot. It's not hard for me to imagine having her by my side in the future - I just don't know whether it'll be as more than my best friend."

"Can you imagine what our future family Christmases will be like if you start dating Yeji and I'm with Hyunjin?" Seungmin pretends to shudder, though it's clear that he's amused by the thought.

Jisu can vividly picture the scene, and the vision makes her strangely hopeful. "Although we'll proper all tease each other like crazy, that sounds pretty perfect to me."

"Then you're crazy." The boy tells her, but his smile is soft as he reaches over to pat Jisu's arm reassuringly. "I think you should tell Yeji that you want to be with her as something more than just best friends."

Jisu gnaws nervously on her bottom lip. "What am I supposed to do if that's not what she wants?"

"Then at least you'll have an answer - and you'll still have your best friend." Seungmin shrugs nonchalantly, as if he hasn't even considered the option that Yeji might take the confession badly. "But if I'm being honest, I don't think you need to worry about that outcome."

Before Jisu can reply to that rather incriminating statement, the auditorium lights dim dramatically and the noise of the crowd drops down to a low hum of anticipation. Despite having had the honour of attending the dance team's practices on countless occasions, nothing could have prepared Jisu for what she was about to see.

The show is beyond incredible. Every single one of the dancers executes the complex choreography flawlessly, looking the perfect blend of mysterious and elegant in their stage outfits and radiant makeup. Jisu tries her best to split her attention equally between her friends, but her eyes automatically seem to drift towards Yeji, as if they're enchanted to be drawn to the girl's presence.

During the finale, Yeji and Hyunjin perform a powerful duet that brings both Jisu and Seungmin to the verge of tears. When the dancers take their bows at the end of the show, Jisu claps until her hands ache, feeling so incredibly proud of her insanely talented friends that she has to hold herself back from cheering at the top of her lungs.

After the show finishes and the crowd begins to filter out of the auditorium, Seungmin leads Jisu to the backstage area where the dance team is gathered, congratulating each other and celebrating their successful showcase.

Jisu briefly exchanges tight hugs with Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna, praising their impressive performances and promising to take them all out for dinner the following weekend. To her surprise, Jisu also finds herself being embraced by a hyperactive Hyunjin - although he does threaten to fill her bed with spiders if she hurts his sister.

Finally, Jisu turns to face Yeji. Her best friend looks insanely beautiful in her stage makeup, her skin glowing beneath a thin sheen of sweat. Swallowing down her fear, Jisu plucks up all the courage she can muster. "I need to talk to you."

Yeji doesn't say anything in reply, simply nodding quietly before leading Jisu outside through a backstage door. When the two girls step out into the paved courtyard, Jisu realises that it's snowing as delicate snowflakes spiral down around them and latch onto their bare skin - since neither of the girls are wearing their coats. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Jisu jumps straight into her confession.

"I'm sorry for avoiding you this past week, Yeji. I just... I had some things that I needed to sort through, but I've finally figured my feelings out, and I - "

"I've always loved the snow." Yeji interrupts her suddenly, as if she hasn't heard a word that Jisu just said. "It’s enchanted me ever since I was little, and it's always been my tradition to make sure that I'm outside to witness the first snow of winter. This year, you were by my side, and now I don't think I'll ever be able look at a snowflake again without thinking about you."

"Yeji, I - "

"I realised that I'd fallen for you that night, Jisu. Truthfully, I think I've liked you for a lot longer than that, but it didn't hit me until that moment." Yeji confesses, staring down at her shaking hands, unable to meet Jisu's eyes. "I tried to keep it hidden, but apparently you realised anyway, and now you're avoiding me because of it. I get it if you don't want to be friends anymore - but I really don't want to lose you, Jisu."

"Yeji, just stop." Jisu cuts off the girl's tirade, surging forwards to cup Yeji's stunned face in her hands. "You're not going to lose me, because you're not theonly one who's fallen for your best friend."

"You mean...?" Yeji finally looks up at Jisu, her dark eyes shining with hope.

"I wasn't avoiding you because I found out that you have feelings for me - I've been distancing myself because I realised that I've fallen for _you_."

Tears are running down Yeji's cheeks as she holds onto Jisu tightly, like she's afraid that she'll disappear again at any moment. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was afraid." Jisu whispers, tenderly stroking her thumb across Yeji's soft lips. "But I'm not scared anymore."

"Kiss me." Yeji breathes, her eyelids fluttering closed in anticipation.

So Jisu does, finally daring to close the gap between their lips in the gentlest of kisses as the snow continues to fall around them. The reality feels so magical that Jisu's almost convinced that she's about to wake up from a beautiful dream, but the weight of Yeji's hands tentatively resting on her hips convinces her that she really is wide awake.

When Jisu finally breaks the kiss, her heart is beating so fast that she's surprised Yeji can't feel it. Although both girls are shivering in the bitterly cold evening air, there's one last question that Jisu needs to ask:

"Yeji, will you be my girlfriend?"

Another wave of shock rolls over Yeji's face as she struggles to find the words to answer. "I... I hate you so much for making me wait for so long." The girl sobs, burying her face in the crook of Jisu's neck. "Of course I'll be your girlfriend."

It's only then that Jisu allows her own tears of happiness to flow, clinging onto Yeji as if she can't bear to let her go ever again.

**• • • • •**

**~ 26th May ~**

"I still can't... believe... that _this_... is what you wanted to do... for your birthday!" Jisu pants heavily, her thighs burning painfully as she struggles to maintain her stamina.

"Don't be such a baby, Su! This is amazing!" Yeji yells, glancing back amusedly over her shoulder at her suffering girlfriend.

"Maybe for you!" Jisu whines, fairly certain that she's going pass out if she has to keep exerting herself for any more than another handful of minutes. "What sort of psycho thinks that climbing a mountain is fun?"

Yeji just smiles smugly, clearly amused by Jisu's complaints. "The psycho that you're dating!"

"I hate you!" Jisu growls, without any bite behind her words.

"And yet you agreed to do this anyway." Yeji crows from atop a boulder, waving down tauntingly at Jisu. "Hurry up, Su - we're almost at the top!"

"Fuck my life." Jisu sighs, mentally preparing herself for the final, draining push.

Despite the fact that the climb up the mountain drains every last drop of her energy, Jisu can't deny that the view when they finally reach the peak is truly worth it.

"Isn't this incredible, Su?"

"It is." Jisu admits without protest, almost stunned silent by the magnificent views of the surrounding hills and valleys, as well as the distant sight of Seoul visible on the horizon.

"We made it just in time - the sun's about to break over the hills." Yeji slips her backpack from her shoulders as she takes Jisu's hand and leads her over to sit on a rock that gives them the best view out over their surroundings. "I brought us coffee, by the way - although i think it's mostly going to taste like cocoa because I added a little too much chocolate powder."

"That's just the way I like it." Jisu grins, taking a tentative sip from the flask. Sure enough, the sweet taste of cocoa settles on her tongue as the liquid sends a rush of warmth tingling through her body.

"I just know you so well." Yeji preens, flipping her hair over her shoulder dramatically, which makes Jisu giggle. "I can't believe that we're the only people up here."

Jisu bumps her girlfriend's shoulder lightly with her own. "Most people aren't crazy enough to wake up before it's even light outside just to climb a mountain."

"I'm sorry for making you do this." Yeji says, sounding not even a little bit apologetic. The girl loves going out and seeking adventure, so it's somewhat unsurprising to Jisu that it's what she wants to do to celebrate her birthday.

"The view is worth the pain." Jisu assures her, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her girlfriend's lips. "Besides, if you're happy, then I'm happy too."

"I love you." Yeji blurts out suddenly, as if her mouth's spat out the words without her brain's consent. Still, she makes no effort to take back her confession, her dark eyes trained nervously on Jisu as she waits for her reaction.

It's the first time that either of them have spoken those fateful words, and yet they don't panic Jisu in the slightest. Rather than scaring her, they simply settle in her heart, blooming vibrantly until she can feel a wave of warmth spread through her bloodstream. Jisu doesn't have to think about how to respond before she's speaking the words without a hint of doubt.

"And I love you."

"Really?" Visible relief floods over Yeji's face the moment the confession rolls off of Jisu's tongue.

"For longer than I was even aware of."Jisu tells her with an honest smile, before reaching into her own bag and pulling out a small box that she'd wrapped meticulously the previous night. "Happy birthday, Yeji."

Although she raises a sceptical eyebrow, Yeji still eagerly takes the present anyway. "You're not proposing to me, right?"

"What the fuck? Of course I'm not proposing!" Jisu gasps, stunned by the idea. "We've only been dating for a few months!"

"People have got married after less time than that." Yeji teases, though it's obvious that she's also relieved that Jisu isn't about to get down on one knee.

"Just open your damn present, you brat." Jisu grumbles, burying her face into the crook of Yeji's neck.

"Hey! I'm older than you!" Yeji swats at her girlfriend's arm, before she begins to carefully tear away the delicate wrapping paper until she's left holding a blue velvet box in the palm of her hand. When she finally lifts the lid, Yeji can't help but gasp as she inspects the pendant that lies nestled in the satin.

Jisu had spent hours agonising over what present she should buy for her girlfriend without any real progress. It was only when she was visiting the mall with Yuna and they'd decided to visit a quaint jewellery store on a whim that she'd stumbled by chance upon the ideal gift for Yeji. The silver pendant is carved into the shape of a delicate snowflake, and Jisu's thoughts had immediately drifted to Yeji the moment she'd set eyes on it. It had snowed the night that they'd become best friends, and it had snowed the night that they'd confessed their feelings to each other. Just like her girlfriend had declared that fateful night, Jisu knows that she’ll never be able to look at a snowflake again without thinking of Yeji.

"It's perfect, Jisu. Thank you." Yeji whispers as she blinks back her tears, slipping the pendant around her neck and allowing Jisu to buckle the clasp. "I'll treasure it forever."

The two girls sit side by side as they peacefully watch the sun rise over the hills, bathing the breathtaking landscape in a vivid golden light.

"I wish we could stay up here for hours." Yeji sighs, standing up on the rock and stretching her arms high above her head. The cool morning breeze tousles the girl's dark hair, sending it dancing around her head like a halo. She's so incredibly beautiful that Jisu can't quite believe how lucky she is that someone as amazing as Yeji is in love with her. "Let's just live here from now on."

"You do realise that we're supposed to be meeting up with the others in three hours, right?" Jisu reminds her girlfriend as she reluctantly hauls herself to her feet. "There's no way we'll survive the lecture that Ryujin and Hyunjin will berate us with if we arrive late to the beach."

"I guess I'll race you back down then." Yeji grins as she plants a quick kiss on Jisu's lips before darting off towards the trail. "See you at the bottom, Choi Jisu!"

"Wait, what?" Jisu protests bewilderedly as her girlfriend disappears over the crest of the mountain. "Hwang Yeji, get back here!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I’m grateful to anyone who takes the time to leave kudos & I’d love to hear your opinions about my work in the comments - feel free to ask me any questions you may have!
> 
> I have plans to publish fanfics in the future for various different Kpop groups (including Stray Kids & MONSTA X), so be sure to look out for them if you’re interested!
> 
> \- CoffeeSoobeanie -


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